Ever felt the excitement build as the roulette ball spins, only to watch it land on that little green 0 you nearly forgot about? That single green spot can make all the difference, especially when your chips are stacked elsewhere on the table.
Understanding what 0, or the occasional 00, does to payouts and probabilities helps make sense of why some wheels are more favourable than others. Read on to see how the layout, house edge and paytable all tie together so you can make clearer choices at the table.
Roulette Wheel Layout: Single Zero vs Double Zero
Roulette wheels come in two main varieties: the single zero wheel and the double zero wheel. The European or French-style wheel has 37 pockets: 18 red, 18 black and one green 0. The American wheel adds a second green pocket, 00, bringing the total to 38 pockets.
That extra green slot sounds minor, but it changes the mathematics of the game. On a single zero wheel a straight up bet on one number pays 35 to 1 against a true probability of 1 in 37, which creates a house edge of about 2.70%. On a double zero wheel the same 35 to 1 payout is matched against a probability of 1 in 38, which raises the house edge to about 5.26%.
Because the number of pockets determines the true odds, the wheel variant you play on will affect every probability and expectation that follows. Even outside straight up bets, the extra 00 subtly worsens the expected return on even money and outside bets, since the green pockets are neither red nor black and do not count for those outcomes.
Which variant you find will shape the rest of the odds and payouts discussed below, starting with how the house advantage is created. Choosing a single zero game is generally the better option if your aim is to play with the lowest possible built-in disadvantage.
The House Edge Explained
The house edge is the built-in advantage the operator holds over the long run. In roulette this arises because the green zero pockets sit outside the red/black and odd/even categories. They ensure the casino expects a small return from every spin over time.
On a single-zero wheel the house edge is 2.7%, which equates to an expected £2.70 return to the operator for every £100 wagered over many spins. On a double-zero wheel that advantage rises to 5.26%, so the long-term expected return becomes about £5.26 per £100. These figures come purely from the different numbers of pockets, not from how bets are played.
Setting sensible limits when playing helps manage exposure to that edge, so you control how much you stake against the built-in long-term disadvantage.
Comparing the Odds: European vs American Roulette
The number of pockets directly affects the probability of each outcome. On a European wheel with 37 pockets, a straight-up bet on any single number has a 1 in 37 chance (around 2.70%). On an American wheel with 38 pockets, that falls to 1 in 38 (about 2.63%).
For outside-even bets such as red/black or odd/even, the European wheel gives 18 winning pockets out of 37 (about 48.65%), while the American wheel gives 18 out of 38 (about 47.37%). That same reduction applies across all bet types: the extra green pocket pulls the odds fractionally away from the player for each spin.
Next, we’ll look at how those odds translate into the payouts you actually receive when a bet wins.
Payouts for 0 and 00 Bets
A straight-up bet on 0 or 00, when successful, pays 35:1 on both single- and double-zero wheels. That means a winning £1 wager returns £35 in winnings plus the original £1 stake.
The standard paytable for other common bets is the same irrespective of wheel type, for example split bets pay 17:1, streets 11:1, corners 8:1 and dozens 2:1. On American tables there is also a “top line” bet covering 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3; it pays 6:1 but carries a noticeably higher house edge because it covers five pockets.
Because 0 and 00 are not part of the usual groupings, their presence reduces the chance that outside bets will win, which is why the extra green pocket affects all bets, not only those placed on the zeroes themselves. The next section explains the kinds of wagers that can include 0 or 00 directly.
Can You Bet on 0 or 00 Directly?
Yes. Players place straight-up bets on 0 or 00 by staking on the green pocket on the layout. On American wheels you can also choose the top line bet that covers five specific pockets, or make split bets that straddle 0 with neighbouring numbers such as 1 or 2.
Typical ways the zero pockets appear in wagers are:
- Straight-up bet: placed directly on 0 (European) or 0/00 (American)
- Split bet: straddling 0 and an adjacent number, and on American tables this can include a split between 0 and 00
- Top line bet (American only): covers 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3
These options give players flexibility in how they include the green pockets in their betting mix. The final section clears up common misunderstandings about what 0 and 00 actually mean for play.
Common Misconceptions About 0 and 00 in Roulette
Several persistent myths can distort how players perceive the zero pockets and the game overall. One mistaken idea is that any number is more likely to appear because of recent results; in reality every spin is independent and governed by the same probabilities. Another is that a betting system can overcome the mathematical effect of the zeroes — no progression or pattern changes the house edge embedded in the wheel.
It’s also wrong to think the zero only matters when you bet on it directly; whether the wheel has one or two zero pockets alters the chance of every other bet winning. Keeping bets sized to what you can afford and understanding the maths behind the wheel are the best ways to approach roulette sensibly.
With these points covered, you should have a clear picture of how 0 and 00 shape odds and payouts, and what choices on the wheel make the most difference to your play.
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**The information provided in this blog is intended for educational purposes and should not be construed as betting advice or a guarantee of success. Always gamble responsibly.