Take a look at the numbers on a roulette wheel. They seem to offer only a few dozen different possibilities for players. But what happens when you take a closer look at the layout of a roulette table? You’ll see that there are plenty of bets and combinations to enjoy.
This is roulette in a nutshell: a simple, accessible game with lots of interesting possibilities and permutations. It is this marriage of the simple and complex that makes thousands of casino players around the world love this game.
In short, there are few more iconic sights in a casino than the spinning of the red and black cylinder on the roulette table. Try your luck at Ricardo’s Roulette – https://casinotice.com/online-casinos/ricardos/. The winnings are already waiting for you. Let’s take a look at the complex and simple facets of the quintessential casino game.
How many Numbers are on a Roulette Wheel?
The answer to this question is another question: which roulette wheel are we talking about?
The two most common types of roulette that you will find in most online casinos are European roulette and American roulette. The key difference – is the number of squares in the cylinder.
European roulette and American roulette cylinder layout
In either game, the roulette wheel cylinder has squares numbered from 1 to 36. The difference is in the zero. In American roulette there is a square with a double zero in addition to the one with the zero found on the European roulette wheel. You will find it directly in front of the zero, also marked in green.
This means that there are 37 squares on a European roulette wheel and 38 on an American roulette wheel. Savvy mathematicians will have already deduced that this also means that the house edge is higher in American roulette. Specifically, the house edge in American roulette is 5.26%, compared to 2.7% in European roulette.
What are the numbers on the roulette wheel?
Although the main difference between American roulette and European roulette is the double zero, observant players of both games will notice another.
The sequence of numbers on the cylinder of an American roulette wheel differs from that of its European counterpart; clockwise, the numbers are arranged from zero as follows: 0, 28, 9, 9, 26, 30, 11, 7, 20….
On the other hand, in the European roulette cylinder, they are arranged as follows: 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25, 17….
Both are somewhat random, but many people consider European roulette to be more balanced. While both cylinders alternate red and black numbers, the European roulette cylinder also ensures that there is a greater alternation between low numbers (1-18) and high numbers (19-36). There are also no instances of three consecutive odd or even numbers on either of the cylinders.
Roulette table design
Of course, the cylinder is only one part of the roulette table. Next to it is the part of the table where players place their chips to bet. The main part of the table is clear: it has all the red and black numbers. You will find the zero (and double zero, if present) on the left edge.
However, you will also see other betting areas next to this grid of numbers. This is a way to allow players to bet on groups of numbers. Сolumn bets – to choose an alternative set of 12 numbers.
Note that zero and double zero are not included in any of these groups.
Common roulette patterns and bets
In European roulette you may also see a “circuit” of bets around the table, which is based on the order of the numbers on the cylinder. These are called “Call bets” or sometimes “Announced bets”, and allow players to place different combination bets:
- Neighbors of zero: this bet covers all numbers from 22 to 25, a sequence of numbers located on either side of zero.
- Thirds of the cylinder: as the name suggests, a bet is placed on a dozen numbers (one third of the cylinder). The numbers chosen are those opposite the zero.
- Orphans: these solitary numbers are the six remaining numbers not covered by the two previous bets.