How Does A Roulette Wheel Work?

How Does A Roulette Wheel Work?

Published Date · June 19, 2019 · Last Updated · Nov. 7, 2023 ·Read Time · 3 mins

Roulette is a popular casino game with 37 or 38 number pockets. The red, black and green colored pattern is followed on all roulette wheels in both actual and online casinos. Popular in the West, a roulette player bets on American, European and French roulette wheel formats. The European and French roulette are the same. To win big on the American roulette game, players require separate roulette wheel strategies or else can meet a losing streak.

American Roulette Wheel and European Roulette Wheel, The Ultimate Difference

The American and European roulette games differ from each other as the following:

  • The Double zero

On an American roulette wheel, there are two green pockets present. One for the number zero and the other for a double zero. On the European roulette wheel, the double zero number is absent.

  • The House Edge

The house edge on the American roulette wheel is 5.27%, whereas it is 2.7% on the European roulette. The credit for this goes to the 38 roulette wheel numbers on the American game.

  • The Rules

The house edge is further halved on European roulette with “en prison” or “la partage” rules. These rules are not applicable to the American roulette.

  • The European roulette wheel strategy

You can double your bet on European roulette because of the la partage rule. Fifty-percent of the loss amount is returned to the player in an outside bet if the roulette ball lands on zero.

The Working of a Roulette Wheel and Game

On a roulette table, the clothed layout of roulette wheel numbers is spread. Roulette players place their chips or units on the layout to win real money. They work out specific betting strategies but the player on whose bet number the roulette ball lands wins. The croupier spins the wheel and the ball both in opposite directions. In online casinos, there is usually no minimum bet. In real casinos, this regard may vary.

Roulette Wheel Bets

With pre-calculations and roulette wheel strategies, the chance of winning is already measured for each and every bet. In the game of roulette, the original bets are categorized as the following:

  • Inside Bets

The inside bets on a roulette wheel are basket bet, corner bet, double street, street bet, single bet, split bet and trio bet.

  • Outside Bets

The outside bets include column bet, dozen bet, high bet (above 18), low bet (below 18), odd-even bet, red-black bet, and snake.

  • Called Bets

Called bets are also known as announced bets. These bets include final, full-complete, jeu zero (zero game), le tiers du cylindre (third of the wheel), orphans bet and voisins du zero (neighbors of zero).

The Logic Behind Roulette Wheel Numbers Placement

To increase your bet and win more cash, players formulate roulette wheel strategies. To formulate better strategies, you should have proper knowledge of how the roulette wheel numbers are placed.

The highs and lows are separated. The adjacent numbers in a roulette wheel are never grouped as two highs or lows except in European roulette from 5 to 10.

The red, black and green setup is used. Red and black pockets are placed as alternatives where either one or two green pockets (zero or double zero) are present to give house edge. This again depends on American or European roulette systems.

Odd and even numbers are set up in a way that no more than two odd or even numbers are adjacent to each other.

Now that you know how a roulette wheel works, you can try your luck with a top roulette casino website.

Author

Phoebe Greenwood

Content Writer