European roulette wheel
The single-zero wheel with all 37 numbers in order, the number sequence and key odds.
PNG · 2400 × 2400 px
Wheel guide · Updated
Roulette Wheel: Spin It Online and Learn the Numbers
A European roulette wheel has 37 pockets numbered 0 to 36. An American wheel has 38, because it adds 00. Numbers 1 to 36 alternate red and black, and the zeros are green. Spin the wheel here, then explore the number order, the parts of a casino wheel and the rules dealers follow.
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Each pocket has the same chance: 1 in 37 on this wheel.
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- European, American and triple zero wheels in real casino order
- Any number's color, neighbors and position
- Wheel and spin rules from state gaming regulations
- 37pockets, European wheel
- 38pockets, American wheel
- 36highest number
- 666all the numbers added up
Numbers and colors
Roulette Wheel Numbers: How Many There Are and What Color Each One Is
Every roulette wheel carries the numbers 1 to 36, half red and half black. What changes is the green: one zero on a European wheel, two on an American wheel and three on a triple zero wheel.
- 37pockets on a European or French wheel: 0 and 1 to 36
- 38pockets on an American wheel: 0, 00 and 1 to 36
- 39pockets on a triple zero wheel, which adds 000
- 18 + 18red and black numbers. The zeros are green
- 36is the highest number on any standard wheel
- 666is what 0 to 36 add up to, hence "the devil's wheel"
What color is each number?
The same colors appear on the wheel and on the betting table. From 1 to 10 and 19 to 28, odd numbers are red and even numbers are black. From 11 to 18 and 29 to 36 it flips: odd numbers are black and even numbers are red.
0
3
6
9
12
15
18
21
24
27
30
33
36
2
5
8
11
14
17
20
23
26
29
32
35
1
4
7
10
13
16
19
22
25
28
31
34
Red: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 30, 32, 34, 36. Black: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29, 31, 33, 35. Green: 0, 00 and 000.
The number order, clockwise from 0
European37 pockets
- 0
- 32
- 15
- 19
- 4
- 21
- 2
- 25
- 17
- 34
- 6
- 27
- 13
- 36
- 11
- 30
- 8
- 23
- 10
- 5
- 24
- 16
- 33
- 1
- 20
- 14
- 31
- 9
- 22
- 18
- 29
- 7
- 28
- 12
- 35
- 3
- 26
American38 pockets
- 0
- 28
- 9
- 26
- 30
- 11
- 7
- 20
- 32
- 17
- 5
- 22
- 34
- 15
- 3
- 24
- 36
- 13
- 1
- 00
- 27
- 10
- 25
- 29
- 12
- 8
- 19
- 31
- 18
- 6
- 21
- 33
- 16
- 4
- 23
- 35
- 14
- 2
Triple zero39 pockets
- 0
- 000
- 00
- 32
- 15
- 19
- 4
- 21
- 2
- 25
- 17
- 34
- 6
- 27
- 13
- 36
- 11
- 30
- 8
- 23
- 10
- 5
- 24
- 16
- 33
- 1
- 20
- 14
- 31
- 9
- 22
- 18
- 29
- 7
- 28
- 12
- 35
- 3
- 26
The French wheel uses the European order. These are the standard orders New Jersey's gaming rules set for single and double zero wheels; a regulator can approve others, so a few wheels differ. Compare the first two wheels in detail in European vs American roulette.
Interactive
Explore the Wheel: Neighbors, Opposite Numbers and Patterns
Tap any pocket to see its color, its neighbors on the wheel and what sits across from it. Then switch the view to see how colors, odd and even, high and low, dozens and columns are spread around the wheel.
Wheel
Show
Number 32
- Color
- Red
- Neighbors on the wheel
- 26, 0, 32, 15, 19
- Across the wheel
- Between 5 and 24
- Odd or even
- Even
- Low or high
- High (19 to 36)
- Dozen and column
- 3rd dozen, column 2
- Position
- 1st pocket clockwise from 0
- French section
- Voisins du Zéro
Why the numbers aren't in order
The order spreads the numbers out so no part of the wheel looks lopsided. It makes no difference to your odds: every pocket is the same size and equally likely to catch the ball.
- Red and black alternate all the way round on both wheels. Each zero sits between a red and a black number.
- Low and high alternate on the European wheel. A number from 1 to 18 sits next to one from 19 to 36 everywhere except one spot, where 5 sits next to 10.
- On the American wheel, numbers face their partners. 1 is directly across from 2, 27 from 28, 35 from 36, and 0 from 00.
- Colors don't split evenly by odd and even. Red has 10 odd and 8 even numbers; black has 8 odd and 10 even. Each color has 9 low and 9 high numbers.
Anatomy
Parts of a Roulette Wheel
A casino wheel is two main pieces: a fixed bowl with the ball track, and a rotor that spins inside it carrying the numbered pockets. Hover over or tap a part to find it on the wheel.
- BowlThe fixed wooden bowl that holds everything. It sits on the table and doesn't turn.
- Ball trackThe sloped outer track where the dealer launches the ball. The ball circles here until it slows down and drops.
- DeflectorsMetal stops on the slope below the track, often called diamonds. A standard design has eight: four set along the slope and four across it, to knock the ball off a smooth path.
- BallA small ball made of a non-metallic material. New Jersey and Maryland require it to be between 3/4 and 7/8 of an inch across.
- RotorThe spinning center, also called the wheel head. It turns on a spindle and carries the number ring, the pockets and the cone.
- Number ringThe colored ring of numbers. Each number lines up with the pocket below it.
- Pockets and fretsThe compartments where the ball comes to rest, separated by metal dividers called frets.
- ConeThe raised center of the rotor. It slopes down toward the pockets.
- TurretThe handle on top of the cone. The dealer turns it to spin the rotor.
- 30 in. or moreNew Jersey requires a casino wheel at least 30 inches across. Cammegh's standard wheel is 80 cm, about 31.5 inches.
- 3/4 to 7/8 in.The ball's diameter under New Jersey and Maryland rules, about 19 to 22 mm, in a non-metallic material.
- 8 deflectorsThe usual layout: four set along the slope and four across it, evenly spaced around the bowl.
- Checked before playMaryland requires staff to check the wheel is level, turns freely and has no loose parts before the table opens, and to test the ball with a magnet.
The spin
How a Roulette Wheel Works, Spin by Spin
The wheel and the ball always travel in opposite directions, and the rules for a valid spin are written into state gaming regulations. Here's what happens on every spin at a casino table.
The rotor turns
The dealer sets the rotor turning with the turret, in one direction.
The ball goes the other way
The ball is spun around the track in the opposite direction. Gaming rules in New Jersey and Maryland require it.
No more bets
While the ball is still circling, the dealer calls "No more bets." The ball has to go around the track at least four times for the spin to count.
The deflectors scatter it
As it slows, the ball drops off the track, hits the deflectors and bounces across the frets.
It settles in a pocket
The pocket it stops in is the winning number. The dealer marks it on the layout, clears the losing bets and pays the winners.
When a spin doesn't count
Under Maryland's roulette rules, the dealer calls "no spin" and spins again if:
- The ball was spun the same way as the wheel
- It went around fewer than four times
- It flew out of the wheel
- Something fell into the wheel
Online, software roulette picks the number with a random number generator instead of a physical ball. Live dealer roulette uses a real wheel and dealer filmed in a studio. Try a full table with free chips in our roulette simulator, or learn the bets in how to play roulette.
Wheel types
European, American and Triple Zero Wheels Compared
All three carry 1 to 36 and pay the same amounts. The extra zeros are the only difference, and each one makes every bet cost more.
| Feature | European | American | Triple zero |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pockets | 37 | 38 | 39 |
| Green pockets | 0 | 0 and 00 | 0, 00 and 000 |
| Where the zeros sit | 0 between 26 and 32 | 0 and 00 directly across from each other | 0, 000 and 00 side by side |
| Number order | European order | Its own order | European order, with 000 and 00 after 0 |
| House edge | 2.70% | 5.26% (7.89% on the five-number bet) | 7.69% |
| Where you'll find it | Online, and most casinos outside the US | Most US casino tables | Some Las Vegas casinos |
A French wheel is the European wheel, often with La Partage on even-money bets. More on each: European vs American roulette · French roulette · triple zero roulette.
Interactive
Lucky Numbers, Hot Numbers and Biased Wheels
Is there a number that comes up more often? On a fair wheel, no. Spin it 1,000 or 10,000 times below and some numbers will look "hot" and others "cold". Run it again and they change.
Spins1,000
Hottest number10 (39×)
Coldest number32 (19×)
Red / black / green47.4% / 50.6% / 2%
Each spin is independent. A number that just hit is exactly as likely to hit again, and a number that hasn't come up in 100 spins isn't "due". Over 1,000 spins, the gap between the hottest and coldest number is usually big enough to look meaningful. It isn't.
The famous lucky number is 17: Sean Connery won on it three times in a row at Saint-Vincent, Italy, in 1963. The odds of that streak were the same as for any other number.
Betting systems don't change any of this. See what eight of them did over thousands of sessions in roulette strategies tested.
When a real wheel isn't fair
A worn, dirty or tilted wheel can favor some pockets. Players have exploited that for 150 years:
- 1873: Joseph Jagger used a biased wheel to win at Monte Carlo.
- 1960s and 1970s: Richard Jarecki won about $1.2 million by watching more than 10,000 spins per wheel to find flaws.
- Early 1990s: Gonzalo García-Pelayo won heavily at the Casino de Madrid; a court ruled the casino should fix its wheel.
Casinos fight back by checking wheels are level, tracking results with software, swapping wheel heads between tables and fitting pocket rings that rotate. Some wheels also randomize how fast the rotor slows down after "No more bets."
History
A Short History of the Roulette Wheel
- 1600s
Many historians credit French mathematician Blaise Pascal with a primitive roulette wheel, a by-product of his search for a perpetual motion machine.
- 1796
Roulette is played in its modern form in Paris, at the Palais Royal. Early Paris wheels colored the single zero red and the double zero black; green came later, to avoid confusion.
- 1800s
In the United States, the double-zero wheel spreads from New Orleans up the Mississippi and west. Some early American wheels even had a third house pocket, the American Eagle.
- 1843
François and Louis Blanc open a single-zero wheel in Bad Homburg, Germany, to beat rival casinos on odds. The Blanc family later takes the game to Monte Carlo.
- 1873
Joseph Jagger wins at Monte Carlo by spotting a wheel that favored some numbers.
- 1961
Edward Thorp and Claude Shannon build the first wearable computer, designed to predict where the ball would land.
- 2016
The Venetian in Las Vegas introduces triple zero roulette, with a 000 pocket.
Free downloads
Roulette Wheel Images and Charts: Free to Download
Print-ready wheels and charts to keep or use in your own guide. They're free to use, including on your site, as long as you link back to this page.
American roulette wheel
The double-zero wheel with all 38 numbers in order, 0 and 00 across from each other.
PNG · 2400 × 2400 px
Roulette wheel numbers chart
Every number's color, both wheel orders and the key counts on one sheet.
PNG · 3000 × 2000 px
Parts of a roulette wheel
A labeled casino wheel: bowl, ball track, deflectors, rotor, pockets, frets, cone and turret.
PNG · 3000 × 2000 px
Roulette Wheel Questions
How many numbers are on a roulette wheel?
A European or French wheel has 37 numbers: 0 and 1 to 36. An American wheel has 38, because it adds 00. Triple zero wheels have 39, with 0, 00 and 000.
What is the highest number on a roulette wheel?
36. Every standard wheel carries 1 to 36, plus one, two or three green zero pockets.
How many red and black numbers are on a roulette wheel?
18 red and 18 black. The zeros are green, so they count as neither.
What color is 0 on a roulette wheel?
Green, and so are 00 and 000. Bets on red or black, odd or even, and high or low all lose when a zero comes up, unless the table uses La Partage or En Prison.
What color is 13 on a roulette wheel?
Black. 17 is also black, and 1 is red. The color chart on this page shows every number.
What do the numbers on a roulette wheel add up to?
666. Adding 0 + 1 + 2 and so on up to 36 gives 666, which is why roulette is sometimes called the devil's wheel.
What is the order of numbers on a European roulette wheel?
Clockwise from 0: 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25, 17, 34, 6, 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9, 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26.
What is the order of numbers on an American roulette wheel?
Clockwise from 0: 0, 28, 9, 26, 30, 11, 7, 20, 32, 17, 5, 22, 34, 15, 3, 24, 36, 13, 1, 00, 27, 10, 25, 29, 12, 8, 19, 31, 18, 6, 21, 33, 16, 4, 23, 35, 14, 2.
Why aren't the numbers on a roulette wheel in order?
To spread them out. Red and black alternate all the way round, and on a European wheel high and low numbers alternate too, except where 5 sits next to 10. The order makes no difference to your odds, since every pocket is equally likely.
What is opposite 0 on a roulette wheel?
On an American wheel, 00 sits directly across from 0. On a European wheel, 0 faces the gap between 10 and 5.
Which way does a roulette wheel spin?
The rotor and the ball always go in opposite directions. Gaming rules in New Jersey and Maryland require it, and the ball has to go around at least four times for the spin to count.
What are the parts of a roulette wheel called?
The bowl, the ball track, the deflectors (often called diamonds), the rotor or wheel head, the number ring, the pockets and frets, the cone and the turret.
How big is a casino roulette wheel?
New Jersey requires a wheel at least 30 inches across. Cammegh, a major wheel maker, builds its standard wheel at 80 cm, about 31.5 inches.
What is a roulette ball made of?
A non-metallic material, such as the Ivorine and Teflon balls made by Cammegh; Ivorine bounces more. New Jersey and Maryland require a ball 3/4 to 7/8 of an inch across unless the regulator approves another size, and in Maryland staff pass it over a magnet or compass before the table opens.
Who invented the roulette wheel?
Many historians credit Blaise Pascal, who built a primitive version in the 17th century while trying to make a perpetual motion machine. The modern game was being played in Paris by 1796, and François and Louis Blanc introduced the single-zero wheel in 1843.
What is the luckiest number on a roulette wheel?
There isn't one. On a fair wheel every pocket has the same chance on every spin: 1 in 37 on a European wheel and 1 in 38 on an American wheel. 17 is a famous favorite: Sean Connery won on it three times in a row in 1963.
Does roulette pay 35 to 1 or 36 to 1?
35 to 1 on a single number. You get 36 chips back counting your own stake, which is why you sometimes see it written as 36 for 1.
Can you beat a roulette wheel?
Not with a betting system: every bet keeps the same house edge. A few players have beaten worn or tilted wheels that favored some numbers, but casinos now check that wheels are level and rotate parts to stop that.
Is an online roulette wheel random?
Software roulette picks the number with a random number generator instead of a physical ball. Live dealer roulette uses a real wheel in a studio. The wheel on this page uses your browser's secure random number generator.
Sources: N.J.A.C. 13:69E-1.7, roulette wheels · N.J.A.C. 13:69E-1.8, roulette balls · N.J.A.C. 13:69F-5.3, rotation of wheel and ball · Maryland Lottery and Gaming: Roulette Standard Rules · Cammegh wheel brochure · US patent 6,047,965 (deflector layout) · DataGenetics: the roulette wheel layout · Wikipedia: Roulette (history)
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