Why Are the Numbers on a Roulette Wheel in That Order?

Roulette Wheel & Table Layout

Who invented the roulette wheel? French physicist Blaise Pascal came up with the idea of what we call the little wheel in the mid-1660s. Namely, Pascal was looking to create a perpetual motion device.

Luckily for us all, exactly then, Blaise Pascal invented the roulette wheel.

In this blog post, we talk about the evolution of it, and if the roulette wheel can be rigged.

What Roulette Wheels Do Essentially

The role of the roulette wheel is to generate the outcome of each round. Modern-day online casinos operate random, RNG-powered wheels that produce fair and genuine results.

However, the question “are roulette wheels rigged?” gets asked a lot. And “a lot” an understatement.

While that question is logical, it still seems unanswerable. So, we at Roulette69 are here to answer for you if roulette wheels are rigged.

The simple answer is no. Nowadays, online casinos are monitored by strict regulatory bodies, meaning that rigging is out of the question. So, as long as you play at regulated online gambling venues, the roulette wheel is not rigged.

Another probing query we get is how the roulette wheel works.

Let’s look at the logic behind the roulette wheel. The order of the numbers on the wheel is not random. The rules are as follows:

  • No two reds or blacks can occur next to each other. Red and black pockets always alternate.
  • Similarly, low (1-18) and high (19-36) numbers interchange in European roulette. However, this is not a strict rule – exceptions like 5 and 10, which are next to each other, do happen. On the other hand, American roulette doesn’t do such a good job with number placement.
  • Finally, not more than two even or odd numbers are next to each other on the European roulette wheel.

The same rules apply to live dealer variations of the game, with the addition of the interactive element.

In relation to the table layout, the roulette wheel layout does appear random. So, if you were wondering “why roulette wheel layout?” we hope this answers your question.

European Roulette Wheel

European roulette wheel layout comes with 37 pockets – 1 through 36 plus 0.

This is the order of the numbers on the European wheel:

0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25, 17, 34, 6, 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9, 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26

The default RTP of the European variant stands at 97.30%, with the house edge of 2.70%.

American Roulette Wheel

On the other hand, we’ve got American roulette with 38 pockets due to the 00 (double zero) slot. Accordingly, the bonus slot increases the house edge to 5.26%.

Here’s the order of American roulette wheel numbers:

0, 28, 9, 26, 30, 11, 7, 20, 32, 17, 5, 22, 34, 15, 3, 24, 36, 13, 1, 00, 27, 10, 25, 29, 12, 8, 19, 31, 18, 6, 21, 33, 16, 4, 23, 35, 14, 2

We know that the higher house advantage may seem intimidating at first. However, we have good news for roulette beginners. You can spin the roulette wheel without betting.

Thanks to modern technologies, players are welcome to play free roulette in demo mode to practice. In fact, our team at Roulette69.com actively encourages our readers to play free roulette before betting real money.

FAQ

If the magical roulette machine confuses you, here are some more popular questions about it.

  • What is the best bet in roulette?

The safest bets involve betting on red or black. In single-zero roulette, red bets offer a 1:1 payout.

  • How many numbers should you play in roulette?

You can play up to 37 numbers in European, and as many as 38 numbers in American variants.

  • Do all roulette wheels have the same number order?

American and European roulette wheels are different because the former has an extra slot

  • What numbers hit the most in roulette?

Most dealers agree that the hottest roulette number is 17.

  • Is there a pattern in roulette?

Usually, there are no patterns in roulette. Sure, streaks can happen, and these are referred to as hot numbers. However, these do not last as roulette is a game of luck.