If you only learn one thing about roulette before you play, let it be this: the number of green pockets on the wheel determines how much the house takes from every bet you make. Everything else — betting systems, pattern tracking, hot numbers, cold numbers — is secondary to this foundational fact.
The Two Wheels
European roulette uses a wheel with 37 pockets: numbers 1 through 36, plus a single green zero. American roulette uses 38 pockets: the same 1–36, plus both a single zero (0) and a double zero (00). That one additional pocket changes the mathematics of every single bet on the table.
Payouts on both wheels are identical. A straight-up number pays 35:1. A red/black bet pays 1:1. A dozen pays 2:1. The payout structure was designed for a 36-number wheel with no zeros. The zeros are where the house gets its edge — they create outcomes where every bet on the table loses.
The House Edge Breakdown
| Metric | European (Single Zero) | American (Double Zero) |
|---|---|---|
| Total pockets | 37 | 38 |
| Green pockets | 1 | 2 |
| House edge | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Even-money win probability | 48.65% | 47.37% |
| Straight-up win probability | 2.70% | 2.63% |
| Expected loss per $100 wagered | $2.70 | $5.26 |
The American wheel's house edge is nearly double — 5.26% versus 2.70%. This isn't a subtle difference. Over any meaningful sample of bets, it compounds dramatically.
What This Means in Practice
Assume you play for two hours, placing one $25 bet per spin, averaging 35 spins per hour. That's 70 bets totaling $1,750 in total action.
Expected Loss — 2-Hour Session
European wheel: $1,750 × 2.70% = $47.25
American wheel: $1,750 × 5.26% = $92.05
The American wheel costs you nearly twice as much per session. Over a weekend of play — say 10 hours — the European player expects to lose about $236, while the American player loses about $460. Same bets, same stakes, same number of spins. The only difference is one green pocket.
The Five-Number Bet: The Worst Bet on the Board
American roulette includes one bet that exists on no other wheel: the five-number bet (also called the basket bet), covering 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3. This bet pays 6:1, but with 5 numbers out of 38, the true odds are 6.6:1. The house edge on this single bet is 7.89% — by far the highest on the entire table. Avoid it unconditionally.
French Roulette: The Hidden Third Option
French roulette uses the same single-zero wheel as European, but adds two rules that further reduce the house edge on even-money bets:
La Partage: If the ball lands on zero, you lose only half your even-money bet. This cuts the effective house edge on those bets to 1.35%.
En Prison: If zero hits, your even-money bet stays on the table (imprisoned) for the next spin. If it wins on the next spin, you get your original bet back (but no profit). This also produces an effective house edge of approximately 1.35% on even-money bets.
| Wheel Type | Even-Money House Edge | Inside Bet House Edge |
|---|---|---|
| American (double zero) | 5.26% | 5.26% |
| European (single zero) | 2.70% | 2.70% |
| French (La Partage/En Prison) | 1.35% | 2.70% |
At 1.35%, French roulette on even-money bets offers one of the lowest house edges of any casino game — comparable to skilled blackjack play and significantly better than craps, baccarat, or slots.
Why Do American Wheels Still Exist?
If European roulette is objectively better for the player, why do casinos still offer American wheels? Three reasons. First, tradition: American casinos adopted the double-zero format in the 19th century and never abandoned it. Second, revenue: the higher house edge generates nearly double the profit per table hour. Third, most players simply don't know the difference — or don't believe it matters.
It matters. Over a year of regular play, the gap between 2.70% and 5.26% represents thousands of dollars in expected losses. Choosing the right wheel is the single highest-impact decision a roulette player can make, and it requires zero skill — just awareness.
Compare Both Wheels Side by Side
Switch between European and American roulette in our simulator. Run identical strategies on both wheels and see exactly how the extra zero affects your results.
Open the SimulatorThe Bottom Line
Always play European roulette when available. If you can find a French table with La Partage or En Prison, even better. The American double-zero wheel is objectively the worst option for the player, and no betting system, strategy, or pattern recognition can compensate for the higher edge it extracts from every spin.
The smartest bet in roulette isn't red or black. It's choosing the right wheel before you sit down.