How to spin the roulette wheel
- Choose the wheel: European has 37 pockets (0 to 36) and American has 38, with an extra 00.
- Press Spin, or Space on a keyboard. The wheel turns one way and the ball runs the other, slows down, bounces over the pockets and settles in one.
- The number shows in the middle of the wheel with its color, and joins the list of recent numbers below. Turn on Betting to place practice bets on a full roulette table.
How a roulette wheel is laid out
A European roulette wheel has 37 pockets: the numbers 1 to 36, half red and half black, and a green 0. An American wheel adds a second green pocket, 00, for 38. The numbers don’t run in order around the wheel. They follow a fixed sequence that alternates red and black and mixes high and low numbers, so neighbors on the wheel are far apart on the betting table.
Odds for each spin
| What you’re waiting for | European wheel | American wheel |
|---|---|---|
| One number | 1 in 37 (2.7%) | 1 in 38 (2.6%) |
| Red, or black | 18 in 37 (48.6%) | 18 in 38 (47.4%) |
| Odd, or even | 18 in 37 (48.6%) | 18 in 38 (47.4%) |
| A green zero | 1 in 37 (2.7%) | 2 in 38 (5.3%) |
Every spin is independent. A number that came up three times in a row is just as likely on the next spin as any other, and a long run of red doesn’t make black due.