Roulette Wheel Layout Variations Explained

Roulette is played on wheels that differ in structure depending on the variant of the game. Three distinct wheel configurations exist: European, American, and French. Each uses a different number of pockets and a different arrangement of numbers around the wheel. This page explains those structural differences, including how numbers are sequenced, how zero pockets are positioned, and how the wheel layout corresponds to the table betting grid. It does not recommend any particular variant or discuss approaches to play. 

A roulette wheel layout refers to the arrangement of numbered pockets around the circumference of the wheel. This includes the total number of pockets, the color assigned to each number, and the sequence in which numbers are positioned around the wheel from one pocket to the next. 

The wheel layout is distinct from the table layout, though the two correspond directly. The table betting grid maps to the outcomes available on the wheel: every number and pocket on the wheel has a corresponding position on the table where a bet can be placed. When the wheel layout changes, for example, with the addition of a double zero pocket, the table layout is updated accordingly. 

All standard roulette wheels share the same color structure: numbers 1 to 36 alternate between red and black around the wheel. Zero pockets are always green.

The European roulette wheel has 37 pockets in total: the numbers 1 to 36 and a single zero (0). The 36 numbered pockets alternate red and black; the zero pocket is green. 

The numbers are arranged around the wheel in the following clockwise sequence, beginning from zero: 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. 

This arrangement is not sequential. The layout is designed so that no two consecutive numbers of the same color appear adjacent on the wheel. It also minimizes cases where low numbers sit next to other low numbers, and where high numbers sit next to other high numbers. The result is a distribution that alternates between high and low values and between red and black pockets as consistently as possible around the wheel. Broadly, low numbers (1–10 and 19–28) are distributed so that they face high numbers (11–18 and 29–36) on the opposite side of the wheel, creating a rough balance across the two halves. 

The name “European roulette” is somewhat misleading. This wheel format is the standard variant used in most countries outside the United States, not exclusively in Europe.

The American roulette wheel has 38 pockets in total: the numbers 1 to 36, a single zero (0), and a double zero (00). The 36 numbered pockets alternate red and black; both zero pockets are green.

The numbers are arranged around the wheel counter-clockwise in the following sequence: 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.

Beyond the addition of the double zero pocket, the entire number arrangement differs from the European wheel. Pockets are positioned so that no two adjacent numbers share the same color.

The table below summarizes the key structural differences between the two wheel types.

The number of pockets on the wheel determines how many distinct outcomes are possible on each spin. A European wheel produces 37 possible outcomes per spin; an American wheel produces 38. 

Zero pockets sit outside the standard 1–36 number range. As a result, they are not covered by standard outside bets: red/black, odd/even, and high/low bets all cover numbers drawn from the 1–36 range only. When the ball lands on a zero pocket, all outside bets lose. On an American wheel, this applies to both the zero and the double zero as two separate pockets. 

This structural feature affects the relationship between payout ratios and true odds across all bet types. Payout ratios are calculated against a 36-number baseline, while the actual number of pockets is 37 or 38.  

French roulette uses the same single-zero wheel as European roulette. The physical layout of the wheel, including the number of pockets, the color structure, and the number sequence, is identical. The distinction between French and European roulette lies in the game rules, not the wheel structure. 

Some French roulette tables operate two additional rules that apply specifically to even-money outside bets when the ball lands on zero.

En Prison: when zero is the outcome, the even-money bet is held in place and carried forward to the next spin. If the next spin produces a winning result for that bet, the original stake is returned in full, and no additional winnings are paid. If the next spin produces a losing result, the stake is collected.

La Partage: when zero is the outcome, half the stake on any even-money outside bet is returned to the player. The other half is collected. The bet does not continue to the next spin.

Both rules apply only to even-money outside bets and only when zero is the outcome.

Atlantic City variation: some American roulette tables in Atlantic City operate a half-back rule on even-money bets when the ball lands on either zero or double zero: half the stake is returned rather than the full amount being collected. This applies only to those specific tables and is not a standard feature of American roulette.

Other live and specialty roulette variants may use modified wheel configurations, including wheels with different numbers of pockets or additional zero sections.

The European single-zero wheel is the basis for a category of bets known as called or announced bets. These are defined by groups of numbers as they appear on the wheel rather than as they are arranged on the table layout. They are accessed via an oval racetrack display on the table and are not available on all variants. 

The five standard called bets are as follows.

Voisins du Zéro

Covers 17 numbers surrounding zero on the wheel: 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, and 25. Placed using nine chips: two chips on the 0/2/3 street, one each on the 4/7, 12/15, 18/21, 19/22, and 32/35 splits, and one chip on the 25/26/28/29 corner.

Jeu Zéro

Covers seven numbers close to zero on the wheel: 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, and 15. Placed using four chips: one chip on the 0/3 split, one on the 12/15 split, one on the 32/35 split, and one straight up on 26.

Tiers du Cylindre

Covers 12 numbers on the opposite side of the wheel from zero. Placed as six split bets using six chips on the following pairs: 5/8, 10/11, 13/16, 23/24, 27/30, and 33/36.

Orphelins

Covers eight numbers across two separate arcs of the wheel. Placed using five chips: one straight up on 1, and chips on the following splits: 6/9, 14/17, 17/20, and 31/34.

Neighbours

Covers five consecutive numbers on the wheel by indicating the middle number. One chip is placed on each of the five numbers in the group.

Called bets are based on the physical position of numbers on the wheel. They are not progressive staking systems and do not adjust based on previous results.

The wheel layout and the table layout are two distinct but corresponding elements of the game. The wheel layout determines what outcomes are possible on each spin. The table layout is the printed betting surface that maps to those outcomes. 

The table layout remains broadly consistent across roulette variants. The standard 1–36 number grid, the outside betting areas, and the zero section are present in all standard versions. When the wheel layout changes, as with the addition of a double zero on the American wheel, the table is updated to include a corresponding double zero betting area. 

Any number visible on the wheel has a corresponding position on the table where a bet can be placed. Inside bets placed on the number grid cover specific numbers or small groups; outside bets placed in the surrounding areas cover larger categories of outcome.

Common Misconceptions About Roulette Wheel Layouts

“Certain sections of the wheel are ‘hot’ or ‘cold’.”

The wheel has no memory of previous spins. Each spin produces an independent result. A section that has produced several consecutive wins has the same probability of producing a win on the next spin as any other section. The physical arrangement of numbers on the wheel does not change between spins.

“Number patterns on the wheel indicate future outcomes.”

The sequence of numbers on the wheel is a fixed structural design feature. It does not shift, rotate, or respond to previous results. Sequences of results that appear to form patterns are a natural feature of random distributions and carry no predictive information about future spins.

“The American wheel is a fundamentally different game from the European wheel.”

The American wheel uses the same game structure as the European wheel: the same number range (1–36), the same outside bet categories, and the same payout ratios. The addition of a double zero pocket changes the total number of pockets from 37 to 38 and introduces a second green pocket outside the standard outside bet coverage. The rules and mechanics of play are otherwise the same.

“Repeated results from the same section mean the wheel is biased.”

Modern roulette wheels are precision-engineered to produce random outcomes across all pockets. Short runs of results concentrated in one area of the wheel are consistent with the expected behaviour of a random process across a limited number of trials and do not indicate a structural bias.