Numbers on a roulette wheel go from 1 to 36. Depending on the type of roulette wheel you choose to play, you will also find a 0 or even a double 00 too.
The sequence of numbers on a roulette wheel is not related to their mathematic value whatsoever. The sequence of odd and even, as well as red and black numbers is evenly distributed around the wheel in a bid to ensure a fairer, more balanced game.
Roulette Wheel Colours
You’ll find that the pockets of a roulette wheel will have one of three different colours. First and foremost, 1 to 36 will be displayed in alternate red and black colours. Secondly, the zero (like, for example, in European Roulette, or the creative Age of the Gods™ Roulette) – and double zero (in American Roulette), if present – will be displayed in a prominent green. With only a few colours to keep an eye on as the wheel spins, it’s easy to see why beginners find roulette easy to pick up.
Ball Track
The ball track of a roulette wheel is the "run" for the roulette ball to move around as the wheel spins. Eventually, as the ball slows down and the centrifugal force is no longer sufficient enough to sustain it on the track, the ball drops into one of the pockets built into the roulette wheel – hopefully, a winning pocket for you!
Diamond
The only instance where there is another pocket on the roulette wheel is when you play Diamond Bet Roulette™. The diamond is an additional pocket to the numbers that's assigned a random win multiplier by online casino software when you bet on the diamond.
Roulette pockets
You may have already heard us talk about pockets on a roulette wheel, but let’s go into a little more detail. Most roulette wheels have frets of the same height at both ends of each pocket. Meanwhile, some other wheels have pocket frets that diminish towards the centre of the wheel, which can sometimes make it seem harder to estimate where the roulette ball will land.
Roulette rotor
In terms of the inner workings of a roulette wheel, its rotor is arguably the most important mechanism to keep your gameplay moving. It ensures the wheel and its pockets spin at a consistent speed, helping to reduce – eradicate, when you're playing at a reputable casino – the possibility of wheel bias during any roulette game.
Roulette base
The base of a roulette wheel is its outer shell. In most high-end land-based casinos, these will be wooden, complete with a metallic interior to help shield and protect the roulette rotor and the other inner mechanics of the roulette machine. The slightest imperfection to a roulette base can also affect the performance of a wheel’s ball track.
What is a random number generator in roulette?
Random number generators (RNGs) are computer algorithms that produce random outcomes for each and every spin of a virtual roulette wheel. RNGs are not applicable to physical roulette machine tables of the sort you'd find in a land-based casino. However, online casino roulette wheels depend on RNGs to ensure the fairest, most transparent action for casino fans. At reliable, regulated casino providers like Paddy Power, all casino games along with their RNGs have been vetted by third parties, which means that the gameplay has been checked by independent agencies to make sure it is completely fair for all.
What is the roulette house edge?
A house edge for a roulette wheel is determined by calculating the odds against a winning bet, minus the house odds, multiplied by the probability of winning a bet.
For example, let's say that you've placed a straight bet on a single number, with the odds against you winning at 36/1. The house odds are 35/1 and the probability of success is 1/37:
The house edge equals: (36/1 – 35/1) x 1/37 = 0.0270270
Multiply that by 100 to get the house edge percentage of 2.70%. This means that for every £100 that the totality of players spend on the roulette wheel spinner, players would statistically lose £2.70 on average to the casino. From that, it follows that for every £100 all players spend on the game, players win back £97.3 in total, on average.
Find out more about roulette odds and betting systems in Paddy Power’s guide.