The Famous Roulette Wheel

Table of Contents

Everybody knows the game of roulette or live dealer roulette. But how much do you actually know about the roulette wheel that could spin you into riches? Not a lot, then? We thought so.

In this article, we’ll get into the information you should know regarding the difference between the American roulette wheel and that of the European roulette wheel and which is better for your game. As well as the various betting options that could work in your favor.

See these roulette wheel diagrams below. You’ll get the lowdown on why they are different.

american and european roulette

American Roulette Wheel

Ah, the wonders of the roulette wheel. This wheel of fate has been making winners since it was first invented in the 15th century by Blaise Pascal. This French mathematician, scientist, and physicist’s main objective was to create a “perpetual motion machine” that would stay in motion without any kind of energy source.

What he did stumble upon was the creation of an early version of the roulette wheel, albeit without the roulette wheel numbers at first. From there, the roulette wheel layout has changed over the past couple of hundred years to include the black and red colors, and the numbers we know so well today are on that roulette the way we know it to be today.

You’re probably asking yourself, ”Are all roulette wheels the same?” No. And below you’ll find an explanation of the differences between the American roulette wheel and the European roulette wheel. On the American Roulette wheel, you will see that there are 38 spots, or “pockets,” where the ball can land. On this wheel, the pockets are numbered from 0 to 36, which totals 37 numbers. But on the roulette wheel in the USA, there is an additional zero, which all adds up to 38 numbers.

You will also see that 18 of the roulette wheel colors are black, while the rest of the 18 numbers are colored red, and those pockets with the 0 and 00 are green. The red and black numbers alternate, with red numbers always being next to a black number and a black number always being next to a red number. You’ll find that the two zeros are in between two red numbers, whereas the one zero is positioned in between two black numbers.

Take a look at the wheel and notice the layout of the American roulette wheel number sequence counterclockwise is: 0, 2, 14, 35, 23, 4, 16, 33, 21, 6, 18, 31, 19, 8, 12, 29, 25, 10, 27, 00, 1, 13, 36, 24, 3, 15, 34, 22, 5, 17, 32, 20, 7, 11, 30, 26, 9, 28, with the highest number on a roulette wheel being 36. Those roulette numbers that are odd are in red, with even numbers being in black. It’s worth noting that when you play American Roulette, the house has the edge because the odds are in their favor with a percentage of 5.26.

American Roulette Wheel summary:

The American roulette wheel has 38 pockets, numbered from 0 to 36, plus an additional pocket labeled 00. The numbers on the wheel are alternately colored red and black, with the exception of the 0 and 00, which are green. The numbers on the wheel are arranged in a specific order, with alternating red and black pockets and consecutive numbers being opposite each other on the wheel. The pocket labeled 0 is located at the top of the wheel, while the 00 pocket is located directly opposite the 0 pocket, at the bottom of the wheel.

European Roulette Wheel

The Euro Roulette wheel looks a little different and is the smarter wheel to play compared to the US Roulette wheel, and here is why.

That single zero! That single zero makes all the difference in the world with regard to you gaining the edge over the casino. As a matter of fact, it reduces the house edge odds to just 2.70%!

How many spots on a roulette wheel of the European variety? 37 pockets. This means that with only 37 numbers, you have a 1 in 37 chance of winning.

The European Roulette wheel layout of numbers counterclockwise is: 0, 26, 3, 35, 12, 28, 7, 29, 18, 22, 9, 31, 14, 20, 1, 33, 16, 24, 5, 10, 23, 8, 30, 11, 36, 13, 27, 6, 34, 17, 25, 2, 21, 4, 19, 15, and 32.

The one zero slot on the Euro Roulette wheel is also green, with the 18 roulette wheel numbers being in red while the other digits are in black. Once again, the highest number on a roulette wheel on this European version is also 36. This version of roulette is a popular choice when it comes to online play – we offer both online roulette and live roulette for real money.

European Roulette Wheel Summary:

The European roulette wheel is similar to the American roulette wheel, but it has only 37 pockets, numbered from 0 to 36. The pockets on the European roulette wheel are also alternately colored red and black, with the exception of the 0 pocket, which is green. The numbers on the wheel are arranged in the same manner as on the American roulette wheel, with alternating red and black pockets and consecutive numbers being opposite each other on the wheel. The 0 pocket is located at the top of the wheel, just like on the American roulette wheel. Because the European roulette wheel has one less pocket than the American roulette wheel, the odds of winning are slightly better for players who bet on individual numbers.

a golden roulette table with red and black trimmings, rolling a white ball.

European Roulette Wheel Based Bets

Again, you have to ask, are all roulette wheels the same? And again the answer is no, especially when it comes to how you can wager and win, as it is also based on the European roulette wheel layout

Voisins du Zero: In roulette, “Voisins du Zero” is a betting term that refers to a specific group of numbers on the roulette wheel. Voisins du Zero translates to “neighbors of zero” in English, and it refers to the numbers that are located near the 0 pocket on the roulette wheel. The Voisins du Zero bet is a bet on a specific group of numbers that are located on the roulette wheel in a particular pattern. The numbers included in the Voisins du Zero bet are 17, 34, 6, 1, 20, 14, 31, and 9. These numbers are located on the roulette wheel in such a way that they form a sort of cluster around the 0 pocket. When players make a Voisins du Zero bet, they are betting on all of these numbers at once.
Orphelins: In roulette, “Orphelins” is a betting term that refers to a specific group of numbers on the roulette wheel. Orphelins translates to “orphans” in English, and it refers to the numbers that are not included in the Voisins du Zero or Tiers du Cylindre bets. The Orphelins bet is a bet on a specific group of numbers that are located on the roulette wheel in a particular pattern. The numbers included in the Orphelins bet are 17, 34, 6, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9, 18, and 25. These numbers are not located on the roulette wheel in a cohesive group like the Voisins du Zero numbers are, which is why they are called orphans. When players make an Orphelins bet, they are betting on all of these numbers at once.
Le Tiers du Cylindre: In roulette, “Le Tiers du Cylindre” is a betting term that refers to a specific group of numbers on the roulette wheel. Le Tiers du Cylindre translates to “one third of the wheel” in English, and it refers to a group of twelve numbers that are located on the opposite side of the wheel from the 0 pocket. The numbers included in the Le Tiers du Cylindre bet are 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, and 33. These numbers are located on the roulette wheel in a pattern that forms one third of the wheel. When players make a Le Tiers du Cylindre bet, they are betting on all of these numbers at once.
Voisins: In roulette, “Voisins” is a betting term that refers to a specific group of numbers on the roulette wheel. Voisins translates to “neighbors” in English, and it refers to the numbers that are located near the 0 pocket on the roulette wheel. The Voisins bet is a bet on a specific group of numbers that are located on the roulette wheel in a particular pattern. The numbers included in the Voisins bet are 0, 2, 3, 25, 26, 28, 29, and 0. These numbers are located on the roulette wheel in such a way that they form a sort of cluster around the 0 pocket. When players make a Voisins bet, they are betting on all of these numbers at once.

Graphic of roulette wheel with two golden stars

Types of Roulette Wheel Pockets

The layout of the American roulette wheel or the European roulette wheel may have frets. But there is a difference between even frets and small frets. Even frets have both ends exactly the same height and are normally inclined towards the center, which will affect the ball’s outcome and the player’s bet.

Small frets are separators that may be caused by someone tampering with the roulette wheel, by misuse, or just general wear and tear. In this case, these loosened separators will cause a ball to land on certain numbers or colors, which the casino does not want.

Logic of the Roulette Wheel

Whether you’re playing at the American roulette table or the European roulette table, those roulette colors and numbers are all there to totally confuse you! Especially since, as a beginner, you don’t understand the layout. There are a few sections on the roulette wheel that add a little, um, how do you say, difficulty to your game? That’s why we’re here. To assist you in getting the most out of your game!

Because a casino always wants to have the house edge, they make use of diamonds. What these are are metal deflectors aligning various areas of the roulette wheel layout which are utilized to divert the ball, and affect the position it will land in. The diamonds that the ball hits the most are called dominant diamonds.

There is also a special method to the madness of the distribution of those odd and even numbers. The reason for this is that there should not be more than two odd or two even numbers together, as this is the most popular bet among players in order for them to get their money’s worth and improve their odds. When it comes to the online roulette wheel numbers alternating, there isn’t too much information or reasoning as to why this is. According to some theories, this is done to prevent players from detecting trends or patterns, allowing them to keep track of where that ball will land.

It is composed of the finest wood and measures approximately 90 cm. This main unit needs to be completely shiny and polished to ensure the lower base spins without any issues. A plastic bowl makes the casino look cheap!

Rotor: The rotor is the inner part of a roulette wheel that spins around the wheel’s axis. The rotor is attached to the wheel and spins along with it when the wheel is in motion. The rotor is an important part of the roulette wheel, as it is the part of the wheel that the ball comes into contact with and is spun around by. The ball is placed on the wheel and spins around the rotor until it loses momentum and falls into one of the numbered pockets on the wheel. The rotor is typically made of a heavy metal, such as brass, to help ensure that it spins smoothly and evenly around the wheel’s axis.

Deflectors: The deflectors on a roulette wheel are small obstacles that are placed on the wheel to alter the trajectory of the ball as it spins around the wheel. The purpose of the deflectors is to ensure that the ball bounces randomly around the wheel and ends up landing in one of the numbered pockets. The deflectors are carefully positioned on the wheel to create a random and unpredictable motion for the ball, making it difficult for players to predict where the ball will land. The deflectors are an important part of the roulette wheel, as they help to create the element of chance that is central to the game.

Pockets: The pockets on a roulette wheel are the small, numbered indentations where the ball eventually comes to rest after spinning around the wheel. The pockets are numbered from 0 to 36, and they are alternately colored red and black, with the exception of the 0 and 00 pockets, which are typically green. The pockets are an important part of the roulette wheel, as they are where the ball lands after it has been spun around the wheel. The pockets are used to determine the winning number and corresponding bets for each round of the game.

The Roulette Ball

The dimensions of a roulette ball can vary depending on the specific type of roulette wheel that is being used. On a standard American roulette wheel, the ball is typically between 1.5 and 2 inches in diameter. The ball is also usually made of a dense material, such as ivory or a synthetic polymer, which helps it to maintain a consistent momentum as it spins around the wheel. The quality of the ball is also important, as a high-quality ball will be well-balanced and will spin smoothly around the wheel, making it more difficult for players to predict where it will land.

The 6 gram and 18 to 21 mm ball is now made from Teflon or plastic, which lasts anywhere from 10 to 20 years, so casinos don’t have to keep replacing them, which is costly. We don’t tamper with the ball, we don’t use any dominant diamonds, and we want you to always win! Come try our Roulette variations by simply creating an account and receiving the benefits you so richly deserve!