JiLi333 Double Zero Roulette vs Single Zero: The Edge, Pocket by Pocket
A single zero roulette wheel has 37 pockets, 1 to 36 plus one zero.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| JiLi333 Baccarat Drawing Rules | Baccarat drawing rules are fixed, so nobody chooses whether to draw. |
| JiLi333 RNG Roulette vs a Streamed Wheel | RNG roulette draws the winning number with a random number generator and shows it as an animation; a streamed wheel shows a real ball in a real wheel on camera. |
Double zero roulette is the version of the game with two green pockets instead of one, and that extra pocket is the biggest difference between roulette tables. This page, under the Evolution live pillar, shows the arithmetic in full so you can check it, then gives you a way to confirm which wheel a table is running before your first bet.
Double zero roulette versus single zero: the American roulette wheel
| Wheel | Pockets | Numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Single zero (European) | 37 | 1 to 36 and 0 |
| Double zero (American) | 38 | 1 to 36, 0 and 00 |
Evolution’s own pages describe its French Roulette wheel as the numbers 1 to 36 and a single zero, and its American Roulette as adding a double zero (00) to both the wheel and the layout.
Where the house edge comes from
Take a bet on red. A single-zero wheel has 18 red pockets out of 37. An even-money bet pays 1 to 1, so per unit staked:
- Chance of winning: 18/37. Chance of losing: 19/37.
- Expected result: 18/37 minus 19/37 = minus 1/37.
- 1/37 is about 0.0270, a house edge of about 2.70%.
On a double-zero wheel the same bet has 18 red pockets out of 38:
- Chance of winning: 18/38. Chance of losing: 20/38.
- Expected result: minus 2/38, or minus 1/19.
- That is about 0.0526, a house edge of about 5.26%.
A thesis held in the University of Nevada, Las Vegas library works the same example and reaches about 5% for American roulette and about 2.7% for European roulette.
Single zero wheel: confirming what a table runs
Before you bet on any live or software roulette table:
- Look at the wheel for a 00 pocket next to the 0.
- Look at the betting layout for a 00 box.
- Read the table’s rules panel for the variant name: European, French or American.
- Check whether any special rule applies to even-money bets on that table.
Evolution’s pages describe the La Partage rule on its French Roulette: on an even-money bet, half the stake comes back when the ball lands on zero. Where a table runs it, the panel says so.
What the house edge means for a session
The house edge is a long-run average. A session of 50 spins can end well above or well below it. What you control is the stake: set your bet unit definition from your budget, choose a single-zero table when you have the choice, and stop at the time you set.
You cannot tell from the stream whether the wheel has a 00
Open the table’s rules or help panel and read the variant name, or look at the betting layout for a 00 box. If neither tells you, choose a table whose name says European or French.
The same arithmetic applies to software roulette, which the RNG roulette comparison covers. Baccarat has its own fixed rules, set out on the baccarat drawing rules page.
FAQ
Is European roulette the same as single zero roulette?
Yes, in practice: European roulette uses a wheel with the numbers 1 to 36 and a single zero. Evolution's own pages describe its French Roulette wheel the same way, with an extra rule on even-money bets.
How do I tell a single zero wheel from a double zero wheel?
Look for a 00 pocket on the wheel and a 00 box on the betting layout. If there is only one zero, it is a single-zero wheel.
Does the single zero change what a winning bet pays?
No. The payouts stay the same; what changes is the number of pockets, and that is where the difference in house edge comes from.
Related guides
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| JiLi333 Baccarat Drawing Rules | baccarat drawing rules |
| JiLi333 RNG Roulette vs a Streamed Wheel | rng roulette |