Three green pockets, not two
A standard American roulette wheel carries 38 pockets: the numbers 1 through 36, a single zero, and a double zero. A wheel with triple green adds one more pocket, a third zero, bringing the total to 39. The numbers 1 through 36 do not change. What changes is the count of green zero pockets, and that single addition alters the odds on every bet placed anywhere on the layout.
Roulette numbers always run 0 through 36, and the wheel type is defined by how many of those zero pockets are green and present. A European wheel has one green zero for 37 pockets. An American wheel has two green zeroes for 38. A triple-green wheel has three green zeroes for 39. The phrase "triple green" is a description of the wheel, not a separate game with different numbered positions.
How the extra pocket changes the math
House edge and Return to Player are complements: they sum to 100% for the same game under the same rule set. On a wheel with more pockets but the same payout for a winning number, the player's chance of hitting any given number falls while the payout stays fixed. The result is a larger built-in advantage for the house on every spin.
On a triple-green wheel, a straight-up bet on a single number still pays at the same published odds as it would on a two-zero wheel, but the ball now has 39 places to land instead of 38. The payout has not been raised to match the reduced probability. That gap between the true odds and the payout odds is the house edge, and it widens with each added zero pocket.
| Wheel type | Green pockets | Total pockets | Effect on a straight-up bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| European | 1 (single zero) | 37 | Smallest house edge of the three layouts |
| American | 2 (single and double zero) | 38 | Higher house edge than European |
| Triple green | 3 (single, double and triple zero) | 39 | Highest house edge of the three layouts |
The table above states the direction of the change. The precise house-edge percentage for each bet on any specific wheel is printed in the game information panel or the operator's rules page, because payout schedules can differ between venues even when the pocket count is the same.
What the third zero looks like on the layout
The triple-green pocket is usually marked with a symbol rather than the word "zero": a triple-zero logo, a stylised 000, or a house-specific emblem. It sits among the other green pockets on the wheel and has its own position on the betting layout. From a player's perspective, it behaves exactly like the other zero pockets: it is not red, not black, not odd, not even, and it is not covered by the outside bets that pay on those categories.
That last point matters more than the pocket count. A player who bets red or black, odd or even, or high or low is not betting on 36 numbers against two losing greens, as on an American wheel. They are betting on 36 numbers against three losing greens. The outside bets lose on any zero, and a third zero simply adds one more losing outcome to every such wager.
Inside bets, outside bets and where the zeros land
Roulette bets split into two families. Inside bets are placed on the numbered grid and cover specific numbers or small groups of them: straight-up, split, street, corner, six-line. Outside bets sit around the grid and cover broad categories: red or black, odd or even, high or low, dozens, and columns. On any wheel, the zero pockets belong to neither colour, neither parity, and neither half of the range, so they defeat most outside bets outright.
Different bet types on the same table carry materially different house edges. A straight-up bet and a red-black bet do not return the same expected rate of loss, even though both lose to the zero pockets. The comparison that matters to a new player is not simply inside versus outside, but which specific bet they are making and what the payout schedule says about it.
- Straight-up: one number, the largest payout, the lowest probability of winning.
- Split: two adjacent numbers, half the straight-up payout, twice the probability.
- Street: three numbers in a row, a third of the straight-up payout.
- Red/black or odd/even: 18 numbers, near-even payout, defeated by every green pocket.
- Dozens or columns: 12 numbers, a 2-to-1 payout, also defeated by every green pocket.
None of these bets becomes more favourable on a triple-green wheel. Each one simply faces one additional losing pocket compared with the two-zero layout, and two additional losing pockets compared with the single-zero layout.
Where the wheel's own numbers are published
The pocket count is always visible on the wheel itself, and the layout usually carries the house symbol for the third zero. For the exact house edge and payout schedule on a given triple-green game, the reliable sources are the game's information or help panel, the table rules posted at the venue, or the operator's game rules page. Those documents state the payout odds for each bet type, and from the pocket count and the payout odds the player can see precisely how the edge is built.
What a player should not do is assume that a triple-green wheel pays better on the surviving bets to compensate for the extra pocket. The payout schedule is the only document that settles that question, and it is published for every table and every online game.
Why the extra pocket exists
The third zero is a design choice that increases the house's mathematical advantage without changing the familiar structure of the game. The sequence of a round, the placement of bets, the spin, and the settlement all work exactly as they do on any other roulette wheel. The only procedural difference is that the player should identify the third green pocket before buying in, because it changes which outside bets are worth making relative to the two-zero game they may already know.
A player who sits down at a triple-green table and does not notice the extra pocket has not broken any rule. They have simply accepted a worse set of odds than the table next to it might offer, and the difference is visible the moment the wheel is examined.
FAQ
Does a triple green roulette wheel have 39 or 40 numbers?
It has 39. The numbered positions 1 through 36 remain, and three green zero pockets are added: single zero, double zero, and a third zero. A wheel with 40 pockets would require a fourth zero or an additional numbered position, neither of which is part of the triple-green layout.
Are the payouts on a triple green wheel higher than on a double zero wheel?
Not as a rule. The payout schedule is set by the venue or operator, and the game information panel states it for every bet type. What is certain is that the probability of winning any given bet falls when a pocket is added, so a higher payout would be required just to keep the house edge the same. Whether the venue raises the payout is a question only the published table rules can answer.
Can I bet on the third green pocket like the other zeros?
Yes. The third zero is a numbered position on the layout and can be bet straight-up, or included in any inside bet that covers its position on the grid. It is not covered by red, black, odd, even, high, or low, so outside bets lose to it exactly as they lose to the single and double zero.
Play responsibly
Gambling should be treated as paid entertainment, never as a way to earn income or recover losses. 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738)
18+ or 21+ depending on where you are; follow the minimum age that applies to you.
This article is general information about how these mechanics work. It is not legal advice and not a recommendation to gamble or to use any particular operator. Availability and legality differ by jurisdiction — check the rules that apply where you are.