American Roulette Wheel
Looking to play American roulette? Take a look at how this casino game reached US shores. Learn its main features, bet strategies, payout probabilities, and modern variants here.
How to Play American Roulette Wheel and Table?
Roulette, French for ‘The Little Wheel’, was first invented by Pascal, a French scientist. It eventually made its way to the US after having a successful run in Monaco and Monte Carlo, where it was successfully used in casinos. It found a prominent place in upscale gambling places.
What Is the Difference between an American Roulette Wheel and a Single Zero Roulette?

The American roulette wheel reached the US and gained a double zero, something that helped increase the profitability edge for casino operators. It was soon introduced in betting places in New Orleans and Mississippi.
In France, the French wheel was introduced with the traditional single zero. However, double zero wheels were introduced in the Las Vegas casinos. Soon the double zero American roulette wheel layout began to make its presence felt in different casinos. These were in South America, the Caribbean, and Canada.
The roulette wheel American variant comes with 38 divisions that include numbers ranging from 1 to 36, along with a single and double zero. The numbers come in alternate slots coloured in black or red.
Double and single zeros come in green marked slots. All 38 slots are arranged identically on a circular plate. As a result, the probability that the ball would drop in any slot is equal.
The main objective here is for players to predict which pocket or numbered slot a ball will settle in. There is a range of inside and outside bets invented along with the US variants.
Accordingly, bets are made on particular numbers as the wheel moves counterclockwise or clockwise. After the ball settles, payouts are given to all winning bets.
Types of American Roulette Bets
In the American roulette wheel strategy, there are two types of bets – inside and outside bets. In the inside type, bets are on single or small groups of numbers. For the outside category, wagers are usually on larger number groups.
Inside bets comprise the following types:
| Name | Bet |
| Straight Up | These are on single numbers, including zeros. |
| Split | Here, you bet on two numbers adjacent to each other. |
| Street | Here, you wager on three numbers, which can be on an end of a line such as 0, 1, and 2. |
| Corner | You bet on American roulette wheel numbers forming a corner or a square. |
| Five | It features five numbers placed at the corner of 0. |
| Line | Six numbers or two rows each of three numbers are chosen in this kind of wager. |
Outside bets in roulette American wheel are of the following types:
| Name | Bet |
| Column | This pertains to a group of numbers that form a column. |
| Dozen | Such wagers are in groups of 12, which can be part of the first dozen of 1 to 12, second dozen that is between 13 to 24, and the third dozen that is from 25 to 36. |
| Colour | Here, one can gamble on all red or all black coloured slots as found in an American roulette wheel picture above. |
| Odd/Even | Here, wagers are either on even or odd numbers where the layout is 1 to 1. |
| Low/High | Here you can bet on a lower range of numbers from 1 to 18 or the high end from 19 to 36. |
You can try an American roulette wheel simulator to try such a wagering strategy.
Besides the above, if the winning number is either one of the zeros, all outside bets get halved and returned to respective players.
American Roulette Wheel Odds and Probability
You could play free American roulette wheel on the internet to check payouts and which bets offer a higher probability of payouts. For instance, between the two groups of wagers, inside and outside, the outside bets come with higher chances for wins. However, payouts are smaller. In contrast, inside bets have fewer win probabilities, but payouts are bigger. Inside bets can have a maximum probability of 5 to 1. Outside wager types usually include a probability of 1 to 1 or 2 to 1.
American Roulette Wheel Strategy
American roulette wheel sections enable equal probability for the ball to land on any slot. It is important that you choose bets that have the lowest house edge, or Return to Player (RTP) percentage is highest.
There are certain strategies or wagering systems that help players plan their bets on the American roulette wheel number sequence. The House edge in American casinos for these games remains at 5.26%.
Hence, one of the handy American roulette wheel tips to follow is that players should wager till they recover their losses and gain profit on their original bet. Beyond that, the probabilities of profits diminish, and losses increase.
American Roulette Wheel Simulator
The simulator software allows players or beginners to understand how the different wagers and their outcomes come about. Here are some popular variants which are often found in American roulette wheel images:
Mini
Made popular at online casinos, mostly by Playtech and NetEnt, it is a miniature version with only 13 slots, including 6 of red and black and a single zero.
Live Versions
Here a live dealer accepts bets, spins the wheels, and displays the outcome in real-time gaming. This helps players enjoy a real-life gaming experience and also removes apprehension that software could be rigged.
Multi-Wheel
Here, there could be as many as 6 wheels that separately spin. Players bet on all at the same time, and outcomes are random and difficult to predict or strategize upon.
Other versions are the double bonus spin or the triple bonus game. The live multi-wheel variant is also a popular game found on many websites.
Take a look at an American roulette wheel photo above to know the kind of setup they have, different bet options, and live sessions set. Also, all licensed casinos issue RTP percentages, allowing players to know what to expect as wins or payouts.
FAQ
There are 38 pockets in the double zero American variants.
No, there are different versions of the double zero variants.
The strategy is to reduce the house edge and bet accordingly.
The main difference is the presence of double zero in the American version.