The wheel starts at zero, not one
Walk up to a roulette table and the first thing to understand is that the wheel does not begin its numbering at 1. The lowest number printed on the layout is 0, and that single pocket changes the arithmetic of every other bet on the table. A European wheel carries 37 pockets: the numbers 0 through 36, with a single zero. An American wheel carries 38: the same 0 through 36 plus a double zero, 00. The lowest number is the same on both layouts. What differs is how much that zero costs you.
The zero is the house's number. When the ball lands in it, every even-money bet on the outside of the layout loses outright on most tables, and every straight-up, split, street, corner and line bet that does not include the zero loses with it. No player bet covers the zero unless the player has deliberately placed chips on it. That is the entire mechanism by which the casino earns its edge on the game.
Reading the layout: where the low numbers sit
The felt layout arranges the numbers in three columns running from 1 to 36, with the zero, and the double zero where one exists, sitting at the head of the columns above the 1, 2 and 3. The arrangement is not a sequence: the numbers are scattered so that high and low, red and black, odd and even sit next to one another in no obvious pattern. The wheel itself arranges the same numbers in a different order again, designed so that consecutive numbers are spread around the circumference.
None of that ordering changes what a number pays. A straight-up bet on any single number, whether it is 0, 1, 17 or 36, pays the same fixed multiple of the stake. The zero is not worth more than any other number as a winning bet. It is worth more to the house as a losing outcome, because it sits outside the red-black, odd-even and high-low groupings that outside bets rely on.
Zero changes the outside bets
The clearest way to see what the zero does is to compare an outside bet on a European wheel with the same bet on an American wheel. On both wheels, a bet on red covers 18 pockets. On a European wheel those 18 red pockets sit among 37 total pockets, leaving 19 outcomes that lose: the 18 black numbers plus the single green zero. On an American wheel the same 18 red pockets sit among 38 total, leaving 20 losing outcomes: 18 black numbers, the single zero and the double zero.
The zero does not make red less likely to appear. It adds a losing outcome that no outside bet can cover. That is why the extra pocket increases the house edge on the American layout, and why the same named bet carries a different edge on different wheels. The rule set in front of you is the only rule set that matters.
| Wheel type | Pockets | Zero pockets | Outside bet outcomes | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European | 37 | 1 (single zero) | 18 win, 19 lose on red/black | One zero pocket sits outside all outside bets |
| American | 38 | 2 (0 and 00) | 18 win, 20 lose on red/black | Second zero adds another losing outcome |
Some European tables offer a rule that softens the zero's effect on even-money bets when it lands, returning half the stake or holding it for the next spin. Whether that rule exists is printed on the table or in the game's information panel. It is a rule variant, not a feature of roulette generally, and it changes the edge on those outside bets only.
The sequence of a round
A round of roulette runs through a fixed sequence. The dealer closes betting, the ball is released against the direction of the spinning wheel, and the ball drops into a pocket. The dealer places a marker on the winning number on the layout, clears losing bets first, then pays winning bets. No new bets are accepted once the dealer calls for no more bets, and chips placed after that call are returned or moved.
Buy-in works the same way at most tables. You place cash on the felt, never into the dealer's hand, and the dealer exchanges it for roulette chips. Roulette chips are colour-coded per player so that two players betting on the same number can be told apart. They have no value away from the table and must be exchanged for standard casino chips before you leave.
The decision point in a round is not whether to bet, but where. Every placement is a choice about which numbers to cover and how many ways the ball can beat you. A straight-up bet on the zero covers one pocket. A split covering 0 and 00 on an American wheel covers two. A basket bet on an American layout covers 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. Each choice carries its own edge, and the table below sets out how the main bet types differ.
| Bet type | Numbers covered | How it works | What to compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight-up | 1 number | Chip placed fully inside one number's square | Largest fixed payout, fewest covered outcomes |
| Split | 2 numbers | Chip placed on the line between two numbers | Covers two adjacent pockets, lower payout than straight-up |
| Street | 3 numbers | Chip placed on the outer edge of a row | Covers a full row of three |
| Corner | 4 numbers | Chip placed where four squares meet | Covers a block of four |
| Line | 6 numbers | Chip placed where two rows meet | Covers two adjacent rows |
| Outside bets | 12 or 18 numbers | Red/black, odd/even, high/low, dozens, columns | More outcomes covered, lower payout, zero sits outside them |
The payout for each bet type is fixed by the table and printed on the layout or in the game rules. No bet type is inherently better to play; each simply exchanges a lower payout for more covered numbers or a higher payout for fewer. The house edge on a given bet is the gap between the true odds of the covered numbers appearing and the payout the table offers, and that gap is built into the payout schedule, not into how you place the chips.
What the zero does to a straight-up bet
It is worth separating two questions that sound alike. The lowest number on the table is 0. The lowest number you can bet on is also 0, because every number from 0 upward can be covered as a straight-up bet. But the zero is not a better straight-up bet than any other number. It pays the same fixed multiple as a straight-up bet on 17 or 36, and it has the same one-pocket chance of appearing as any other single number on that wheel.
The zero's special role is as the pocket that defeats outside bets. A player betting red and a player betting black can both lose on the same spin when the zero lands. That cannot happen on any other number. The zero is therefore the number that matters most to the table's arithmetic, even though it pays no differently when you bet on it directly.
Procedural mistakes new players make
The first mistake is touching chips after the dealer has called no more bets. A chip that is still being moved when the ball drops creates a dispute about where the bet sat, and the dealer's ruling will follow the position of the chip at the call, not where the player intended to put it. Place the bet fully inside the square or on the correct line, and leave it there.
The second is assuming the zero is covered by an outside bet. It is not. A bet on black loses on 0 and 00 on an American wheel, and on 0 on a European wheel. Players who want coverage on the zero must bet on it directly or as part of a combination that includes it.
The third is confusing the two wheel types when reading a strategy or a payout discussion. Any statement about roulette odds applies to a specific wheel. A European wheel and an American wheel are different games in the arithmetic sense, and a rule variant such as the half-stake return on even-money bets changes the edge further. Before acting on any published figure, confirm which wheel and which rule set the figure assumes, and check the table in front of you against it.
FAQ
Is 0 or 00 the lowest number on an American roulette table?
0 is the lowest number. The 00 pocket is an additional zero, not a number below zero. Both are green pockets that sit outside the outside bets, but the lowest numerical value on the layout remains 0.
Does the zero pay more than other numbers if I bet on it?
No. A straight-up bet on 0 pays the same fixed multiple of the stake as a straight-up bet on any other single number. The zero's special status comes from defeating outside bets, not from a higher payout when covered directly.
Why does the zero make the American wheel worse for outside bets?
Because the American wheel has two zero pockets instead of one, an outside bet such as red or black faces one additional losing outcome that no outside bet can cover. The extra pocket increases the house edge on the American layout compared with the European layout under the same outside bet.
If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling, help is available. Contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline at the helpline printed in the footer below for confidential support, or visit NCPGambling.org for resources and information. Please gamble responsibly and within your limits.
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.