If you’re interested in testing the roulette tables available at Unibet, you first need to understand how many numbers on a roulette wheel stands for each type of game and how they help determine the odds. Understanding the basics of the game can help you make successful wagers on RNG, live dealer, or land-based tables.

Today, we will tell you about the probability of the odds, types of bets, and what the best roulette numbers are to wager on if you want to win. Once you learn how many numbers there are on a roulette wheel and how you can use this to your advantage, you will be ready to hit the tables.

How Many Numbers on a Roulette Wheel in European and American Roulette?

Before we delve into the details, we want to provide you with more information on the topic of how many numbers on a roulette wheel per game type and how they affect the wagering odds. To explain this, we need to introduce you to the two main types of wheels: the European and the American wheel.

European roulette wheels have a total of 37 pockets, divided into pockets with values 1 to 36 and a single zero pocket. On the other hand, American roulette wheels have one pocket more, containing the standard pockets from 1 to 36, a single zero, and a double zero.

While the difference may seem small at first, it can actually have quite an impact on what the best roulette numbers to bet on are. This is because the odds are determined based on how many numbers on a roulette wheel and the number of pockets you decide to bet on.

How Are the Betting Odds Determined for Roulette?

Roulette is a game that relies solely on chance. Each spin is a separate round for itself, and the ball has an equal chance of landing in any pocket. However, considering exactly how many numbers on a roulette wheel there are can help determine the rough odds.

To determine the probability of you winning a spin, you need to divide the number of pockets you are betting on by the total number of pockets on the wheel. So, if we take a version of European roulette and a straight bet with a single number, the odds would be 1 in 37, which gives a rough probability of 2.7%. For American roulette, the odds are 1 in 38, or 2.6%. However, these exact numbers don’t always correlate with the house edge.

Even if you take into consideration how many numbers on a roulette wheel and how many of them you bet on, the house edge might still come at a higher percentage. We’ve been testing roulette tables for years, including many standard European and American tables. What we’ve found is that while the house edge remains at 2.7% for European wheels, it actually doubles for American wheels, sitting at 5.26%. This is why casinos generally use more double-zero wheels.

Why Does It Matter How Many Numbers on a Roulette Wheel There Are?

Aside from the example we included with the single number bet, it’s crucial to understand how the exact number of pockets you wager on influences your chance of winning. If the European roulette wheel has 37 pockets, each number has a 1 in 37 chance of appearing. Using this logic, the American roulette wheel numbers have a 1 in 38 chance of appearing. While this might seem like a small difference, it affects the house edge and your chance of winning. 

Now that we’ve covered how many numbers on a roulette wheel there are and why this is important, we also want to tell you more about your actual betting options. These are generally the same for European and American roulette wheels, but the payout potentials may vary slightly between them. The bets are divided into groups of inside bets and outside bets.

Inside Bets

If you want to know how many numbers on a roulette wheel are included in inside bets, it can be between one and six specific numbers. While these bets do tend to pay out more, they are riskier and not easy to land. Here are the types of bets that fall into this category:

• Straight-Up Bet: This involves betting on a single number, which sets the probability at 1/37 for European and 1/38 for American wheels. However, the payouts are around 1/35 due to the house edge.
• Split Bet: This bet includes two numbers that are next to each other on the layout, making the chances of winning 2/37 or 2/38 in American roulette. The possible payout is 1/17, including the house edge.
• Street Bet: This involves betting on the three best roulette numbers, provided they are adjacent to each other in a row, which sets the probability to 3/37 or 3/38. The payout potential is actually 1/12, but due to the house edge, expect it to be 1/11.
• Corner Bet: You can make a bet on four numbers, but they must be in a square, which would set the probability to 4/37 or 4/38. The actual payout is 1/8, and it can only be expected to decrease as more numbers are added.
• Line Bet: This type of bet involves betting on six numbers across two rows with a probability of 6/37 or 6/38. Although the true odds are 1/6 and a bit higher for American roulette, you won’t see the payout going above 1/5.

Outside Bets

Unlike inside bets, outside bets require you to bet on an entire group of numbers based on your prediction of the best roulette numbers to bet on. While you are much more likely to get a win with this type of bet, you should expect a lower payout. Here’s more on the bets included in this category:

• Red or Black: Whether you bet on red or black, you are betting on 18 pockets, setting the probability at 18/37 or 18/38, and the possible payout is 1/1.
• Odd or Even: If you want to know how many numbers on a roulette wheel are included in odd or even bets, it’s actually 18 per bet. This means that the probability stays the same as with red or black bets, which is 18/37 or 18/38, depending on the type of wheel.
• Low or High: Similarly to what we mentioned above, there are 18 numbers included in low or high bets, with the difference being that low bets include the numbers from 1 to 18, and in high bets, you choose the numbers 19 to 36 as the best roulette numbers to make a winning bet.
• Dozens: Learning how many numbers on a roulette wheel are included in a dozen bet is easy, since the name itself tells you that you’ll be betting on 12 numbers, but you can decide whether the bet will cover 1-12, 13-24, or maybe 25-36. The probability is 12/37 or 12/38, while the payout is 2/1.
• Columns: Similar to dozens, this type of bet includes 12 numbers per bet, so the payout and the probability stay the same as with the bet explained above

That’s How Many Numbers on a Roulette Wheel Set the Odds

Just picking your favourite numbers and using them for your bets will likely not provide much winning potential, but being wise with your bets and following trends can help you achieve that. Learning how many numbers on a roulette wheel is the first thing you should do to determine the probability of getting a win for each type of bet. Once you know what type of wheel is best for you and the type of bet you want to make, visit the Unibet website to make bets on fairplay games from some of the most popular providers in the world.