When a player first approaches the roulette table, the most striking feature is undoubtedly the iconic wheel. This fascinating wheel is covered in black, red and green pockets, with black and red pockets alternating, and odd and even numbers spread between these two colors. Specifically, there are eight red odd numbers and ten red even numbers on the wheel, as well as eight black odd numbers and ten black even numbers. The sum of these numbers is 666, which is just one of the many interesting facts about roulette.
However, not all roulette wheels are created equal. In fact, there are two main types of roulette: American and European.
Significant Differences Between American Roulette and European Roulette
At first glance, there doesn't seem to be much difference between American and European roulette wheels, but there are some significant differences between them.
The classic European roulette wheel has 37 pockets, numbered from 0 to 36. The zero pocket here is green, while the rest of the numbers alternate between black and red. Although these numbers are randomly distributed, they are arranged in a relatively simple structure. With the exception of the green pockets, the numbers are divided into two main categories: 1-18 and 19-36. These numbers alternate on the wheel, but the numbers 5 and 10 are adjacent on the European wheel.
In contrast, the more modern American roulette wheel has 38 pockets. In addition to the standard pockets from 1 to 36 (alternating between black and red), there are two green pockets, labeled 0 and 00. The layout of the numbers is also different in that numbers that differ by 1 are almost opposite each other on the wheel, and they always alternate between red and black. For example, the number 1 is red, while the number 2 is black, almost opposite each other. Another example is 29 and 30, where 29 is black and 30 is red.
Since roulette is a random game, the order of the numbers does not have a significant impact on the outcome of the game, but the extra numbers on an American roulette wheel can affect the casino's edge. With European roulette, the casino's edge is 2.70%; in American roulette, this edge almost doubles to 5.26%.
By understanding the difference between American Roulette and European Roulette, players can better choose the right game for them and enjoy the fun of Roulette.