If you want to increase your chance of hitting winning streaks in roulette, you need to understand how many numbers there are on a roulette wheel and the reasoning behind their unusual arrangement. The total numbers available on a roulette wheel depends on what variant you are playing, from American to European.
The traditional wheel roulette features 37 pockets numbered from 0 to 36 while its popular American variation has 38 pockets, featuring double zeros. To help you understand this further, we have listed the differences between the two popular roulette variations.
The European Roulette Wheel
This roulette variant is the most popular among casual gamblers and high-rollers, it has been entertaining players since the late 18th century. It consists of 37 numbered pockets, from 0 to 36. All its slots are coloured red or black, while the single zero is coloured green.
What makes this roulette variation a favourite amongst players is its layout, which features only a single zero, giving it a low house edge of 2.70 per cent. It offers gamblers a higher chance of winning, allowing each individual to win 1/37 for all single number wagers. The possibilities remain the same across European roulette tables from land-based and online casinos.
The American Roulette Wheel
The American roulette variant is similar in all major components to the European version, from the ball track, diamonds, and rotor. Their only significant difference is the number of pockets. It features an additional one pocket with double zeros, which affects the probabilities and payouts of different wagers, making its house edge significantly higher than the European version.
On the American roulette wheel, 18 of its numbered pockets are red, the other 18 are black, and the additional double zeros and single zero are green. Its house edge of 5.26 percent, gives the casino a more significant advantage, but it offers gamblers a higher pay-out.
Now that you know the total numbers and the differences between the two most popular roulette variations, further improve your chances of winning big by understanding the roulette wheel's layout.
The Roulette Wheel Layout Logic
When you look at either the European and American roulette wheel, you may get confused about its layout and assume that its arrangement is entirely random. However, that is not the case, and below are the different reasons behind the roulette wheel layout.
- The Colors Should Alternate throughout the Wheel – There should never be two numbered pockets with the same color next to each other.
- To Confuse the Player – The roulette wheel can become intimidating at first, as it is difficult to understand the first couple of times you play. The layout of the wheel aims to make live casino games more challenging for gamblers.
- The Low and High Numbers Should Alternate the Wheel – Similar to the colour logic on the roulette wheel, low and high figures should not sit next to each other except for 5 and 10 on the European variant.
Knowing the numbers of the different roulette variations can give you the upper hand when playing the game and increase your chances of hitting winning streaks.
