Roulette Wheel Layout
The numbers on a roulette wheel are not in numeric order, and they are not random either. Both the European and American sequences follow strict design rules — and the two wheels solve the same problem in different ways.
The European wheel — 37 pockets
Clockwise from zero:
0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25, 17, 34, 6, 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9, 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26. This is the sequence used in the European, French, Lightning and Double Ball demos.
The American wheel — 38 pockets
0, 28, 9, 26, 30, 11, 7, 20, 32, 17, 5, 22, 34, 15, 3, 24, 36, 13, 1, 00, 27, 10, 25, 29, 12, 8, 19, 31, 18, 6, 21, 33, 16, 4, 23, 35, 14, 2. Note the two greens sitting directly opposite each other.
The design rules
Both wheels are built to defeat the same thing: a player who could exploit a predictable relationship between where the ball lands and what it pays.
Red and black alternate perfectly
On the European wheel, every pocket between 1 and 36 sits between two pockets of the opposite colour. Zero interrupts the pattern, which is precisely why it is green rather than assigned a colour.
Consecutive numbers sit opposite each other
On the American wheel this is exact: 1 faces 2, 3 faces 4, and so on through the whole sequence. It means a wheel bias favouring one region cannot systematically favour low or high numbers. The European wheel achieves a looser version of the same goal by scattering consecutive numbers rather than pairing them.
High and low numbers alternate as much as possible
The European sequence never places more than two numbers from the same half of the range next to each other, apart from a single deliberate exception (5 and 10 sit adjacent). This is why the wheel looks "shuffled" while the American wheel looks structured — the European design optimises local balance and the American optimises opposition.
Each third of the wheel holds a balanced mix
Split either wheel into three arcs and each contains a similar spread of colours, parities and dozens. A ball landing consistently in one arc, from a warped wheel or a mechanical dealer, therefore produces no exploitable pattern on the felt.
What the layout does not do. None of this affects the odds. Every pocket is equally likely on a fair wheel, and the house edge comes from the paytable, not the arrangement. The layout exists to make physical exploitation harder, and it has no effect whatsoever on an RNG game where "the wheel" is a rendered animation over a random draw.
Wheel sectors and the racetrack
Because the numbers are scattered on the felt but adjacent on the wheel, betting on a physical region requires an awkward pattern of splits. The racetrack — an oval betting area laid out in wheel order — exists to make that one action. Four sectors are standard.
| Sector | Chips | Pockets | Numbers, in wheel order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voisins du Zéro The seventeen pockets either side of zero. |
9 | 17 | 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25 |
| Tiers du Cylindre The twelve pockets opposite zero, covered by six splits. |
6 | 12 | 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33 |
| Orphelins The two arcs left over between the other sectors. |
5 | 8 | 17, 34, 6, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9 |
| Jeu Zéro A tighter version of voisins, hugging zero. |
4 | 7 | 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15 |
The three main sectors — voisins (17 pockets), tiers (12) and orphelins (8) — together account for all 37 pockets exactly once. "Orphans" gets its name from being the leftovers: the two short arcs that neither of the other two sectors claims.
You will also hear neighbours: a chosen number plus the two pockets either side of it on the wheel, five chips in total. All of these are combinations of ordinary bets, so they carry the same 2.70% edge. Place them in the French roulette demo.
Why the felt looks nothing like the wheel
The betting layout is three rows of twelve in plain numeric order — 1, 2, 3 down the first column, then 4, 5, 6, and so on. This creates the geometry every inside bet depends on:
- Horizontal neighbours differ by 3, so a horizontal split covers numbers like 5 and 8.
- Vertical neighbours differ by 1, so a vertical split covers 5 and 4.
- A street is one column of three: 4, 5, 6.
- A corner is the intersection of two columns: 4, 5, 7, 8.
- A six line is two adjacent columns: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
- A column bet is one of the three long rows — 1, 4, 7 … 34 — which is why the naming is confusing in the horizontal orientation.
None of those groups are adjacent on the wheel. Two entirely different geometries share one game: the felt is organised for pricing bets, the wheel for resisting exploitation. Our demos render both, and hovering a number on the felt reveals the split, corner and street spots exactly where they sit on a real table.
Wheel layout FAQ
What is the order of numbers on a roulette wheel?
European, clockwise from zero: 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25, 17, 34, 6, 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9, 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26. American: 0, 28, 9, 26, 30, 11, 7, 20, 32, 17, 5, 22, 34, 15, 3, 24, 36, 13, 1, 00, 27, 10, 25, 29, 12, 8, 19, 31, 18, 6, 21, 33, 16, 4, 23, 35, 14, 2.
Why are roulette numbers not in order?
To stop any physical bias in the wheel from translating into a bias on the betting layout. Alternating colours, opposing consecutive numbers and balancing each arc mean that a ball favouring one region of the wheel favours no particular bet on the felt.
Do all roulette wheels have the same number order?
All standard single-zero wheels use the same European sequence, and all standard double-zero wheels use the same American sequence. Mini Roulette and other novelty formats have their own orders. Manufacturers do not vary the sequence — it is effectively a standard.
Does the wheel layout affect the odds?
No. On a fair wheel every pocket is equally likely, and the house edge comes entirely from the paytable. The layout affects only the difficulty of exploiting a physical defect — and it is purely decorative in an RNG game.
What are voisins, tiers and orphelins?
The three standard wheel sectors on a French racetrack. Voisins du zéro covers the 17 pockets around zero with nine chips, tiers du cylindre the 12 opposite zero with six chips, and orphelins the eight left over with five chips. Together they cover all 37 pockets exactly once.
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Other guides
- Roulette Rules — How a round works, every bet on the table, and the rules that change the maths.
- Roulette Odds & Payouts — The full payout and probability table for every wheel, side by side.
- Roulette Strategies — Ten systems, what each actually does to your distribution, and why none change the edge.
- European vs American Roulette — One extra pocket, double the cost. The comparison in full.
- Roulette House Edge — Where the edge comes from, how it is calculated, and what it costs per hour.
18+. Roulette has a fixed house edge, so over enough spins the maths favours the operator — always. If you play for real, treat it as money spent on entertainment, set a limit before you start and stop when you reach it. Our responsible gambling page covers the warning signs and where to get free, confidential help.