Zero sits apart from the red and black sequence
You are standing at a roulette table, chips in hand, and the wheel is already spinning. The numbered pockets blur past: 32 red, 15 black, 19 red, 4 black. Then the wheel slows and one pocket stands out because it does not belong to either colour sequence. That pocket is the zero, and it is green on every standard roulette wheel.
The green zero is not a decorative choice. It is the pocket that gives the house its mathematical advantage on most roulette bets. When you bet on red or black, odd or even, or high or low, a green result means the ball has landed outside the set you backed. Your outside bet loses, and the green pocket is the reason those bets do not pay at even money over the long run.
On a European wheel there is one green pocket, numbered 0. On an American wheel there are two: 0 and 00, both green. Some older or specialised layouts also carry a green 000 pocket, but the standard wheels you will meet most often have either one or two green zeros. The number of green pockets on the wheel you are playing is one of the first things to check, because it changes the odds on every bet you place.
The wheel layout and where zero sits
A roulette wheel alternates red and black pockets around the numbered sequence, but the zero pockets interrupt that rhythm. On a European wheel, the numbers run 0 through 36, giving 37 pockets in total. The single zero is green and sits between 26 and 32 on most standard layouts. On an American wheel, the numbers also run 0 through 36, but a second green pocket, 00, sits opposite the 0, making 38 pockets in total.
The colours of the numbered pockets are fixed by convention, not by the wheel manufacturer's whim. The zero and double zero are always green precisely so that no player can mistake them for a red or black number. When the ball settles in a green pocket, the croupier declares the number and sweeps the losing outside bets. Inside bets on the zero itself, if you placed one, are paid as a straight-up number.
What changes between wheel types is not the colour of zero but how many green pockets exist. That difference flows into every bet you can make, because the house edge on roulette comes from the gap between the payout a bet offers and the true odds of winning it.
| Feature | European wheel | American wheel |
|---|---|---|
| Number of pockets | 37 | 38 |
| Green pockets | 1 (single zero) | 2 (0 and 00) |
| Zero colour | Green | Green |
| Effect on outside bets | Zero is a losing result for red/black, odd/even, high/low | Zero and double zero are both losing results for outside bets |
| House edge on most bets | Lower than American | Higher than European because of the extra green pocket |
What the green zero means for your bets
The zero pocket matters differently depending on which bet you have placed. Outside bets cover broad categories: red or black, odd or even, low numbers 1-18 or high numbers 19-36. None of those categories includes zero. When the ball lands in a green pocket, every outside bet on the table loses unless the specific table rules offer a partial return, which some European tables do under a rule known as la partage or en prison. Those rules return half the stake or hold it for the next spin on certain even-money bets when zero appears. They are table-specific, so check the felt or ask the croupier before you rely on them.
Inside bets work differently. A straight-up bet on zero is a bet on a single number, and it pays at the same odds as a straight-up bet on any other number. On a European wheel, betting on zero means you have one winning pocket out of 37. On an American wheel, betting on zero alone still gives you one winning pocket, but the wheel now has 38 pockets, so the odds are slightly longer. The payout does not change; the chance of hitting does.
Some players treat zero as a hedge, placing a small straight-up bet on it while also betting red or black. That does not remove the house edge. The zero bet pays only when the ball lands on zero, and the outside bet loses on the same spin. The two bets are separate wagers with separate edges, and combining them does not cancel either one out.
How zero shapes the house edge
House edge and return to player are complements: for the same bet under the same rule set, they sum to 100%. On roulette, the green pocket is the mechanism that creates that edge. Consider an even-money bet on red. On a European wheel, there are 18 red pockets, 18 black pockets, and one green zero. The bet pays 1:1, but the chance of winning is 18 in 37, not 18 in 36. The missing fraction is the house edge. On an American wheel, the same bet faces 18 red, 18 black, and two green pockets, so the chance of winning is 18 in 38. The extra green pocket widens the gap between the payout and the true odds.
This does not mean the zero appears more often than any other number. Each pocket on a fair wheel has the same chance of catching the ball on any given spin. The edge comes from the payout structure, not from the zero being weighted or magnetised. A green pocket is simply a number that is not covered by the outside bets most players make.
Inside bets carry their own edges, and they differ from outside bets. A straight-up bet on any single number pays 35:1, but the true odds against hitting it are 36:1 on a European wheel and 37:1 on an American wheel. The gap between those two figures is the house edge on that bet. Different bet types on the same table carry materially different edges, so the bet you choose changes the rate at which you can expect to lose over a large number of spins.
Reading the table before you play
Before you buy in, look at the wheel and the layout. Count the green pockets. A wheel with one green zero is European-style; a wheel with two is American-style. The table felt usually prints the same zero or double zero in green, and the betting layout shows where straight-up bets on those numbers are placed. If the table offers la partage or en prison, that rule is normally printed on the felt or displayed near the wheel, because it changes what happens to even-money bets when zero lands.
Buy-in follows the same sequence at most tables. You place cash on the felt, never directly into the croupier's hand, and the croupier exchanges it for chips. Roulette chips are often colour-coded per player so the croupier can tell bets apart. Tell the croupier what denomination you want, or accept the table's standard value. When you are ready to leave, exchange your roulette chips for regular casino chips at the table, because roulette chips are not valid at other tables or the cashier.
Place your bets before the croupier calls no more bets. Once the ball is released, most tables close betting at a set moment, and any chips placed after that call are returned or moved. If you are betting the zero, put your chip on the green zero square on the layout, not on the line between numbers. A chip on the line is a split bet covering two numbers, and it pays differently from a straight-up zero bet.
Procedural mistakes that cost new players
The first common mistake is assuming zero is a push. It is not. On most tables, zero is a losing result for every outside bet. If you have been playing blackjack or baccarat, where ties sometimes return the stake, roulette does not work that way. A green zero takes your red or black bet unless the table's printed rules say otherwise.
The second mistake is betting zero as a hedge and expecting it to protect an outside bet. A straight-up zero bet loses on every spin where zero does not appear, which is most spins. The outside bet loses when zero does appear. Over time, both bets lose at their own house edges, and the combined wager loses at a blended rate. There is no combination of roulette bets that changes the built-in edge of the game.
The third mistake is not checking which wheel you are on. The difference between one green pocket and two is the single largest rule variation in roulette. A player who learns the odds on a European wheel and then sits down at an American table is playing a different game with a different edge on every bet. Count the green pockets before you buy in, and if the table offers a rule that softens the zero on even-money bets, read the exact wording on the felt.
FAQ
Is zero red or black in roulette?
Zero is neither red nor black. It is green on both European and American wheels, and the double zero on American wheels is also green. The green colour marks the zero pockets as outside the red and black betting categories.
Does betting on zero pay more than other numbers?
No. A straight-up bet on zero pays the same as a straight-up bet on any other single number. The payout is fixed by the table's straight-up odds, while the chance of hitting zero depends on whether the wheel has 37 or 38 pockets.
What happens to my red or black bet when zero hits?
On most tables, a red or black bet loses when the ball lands in any green pocket. Some European tables offer a rule that returns half the stake or holds it for the next spin on certain even-money bets, but that rule is table-specific and printed on the felt.
Gamble responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the helpline printed in the footer below.
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.