Zero and double zero are separate outcomes. A standard single-zero wheel has 0 and numbers 1 through 36. A double-zero wheel adds 00 for 38 pockets. Green outcomes win wagers explicitly including them, while ordinary outside wagers lose on them.
Zero is outside the numbered groups
Roulette wager definitions determine coverage. Even though arithmetic treats zero as an even integer, the even wager covers 2, 4, 6 through 36 and excludes zero. The red, black, low, high, dozen and column groups also exclude it.
Take 5 chips on black and 1 on zero. A black result returns 10, giving 4 net profit against 6 staked. Zero returns 36 from the straight-up wager, giving 30 net profit. A red result loses all 6. Adding zero changes the return pattern without cancelling the cost of the other wagers.
Read the green-area groups
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| Group | Covered outcomes | Standard profit payout |
|---|---|---|
| European first four | 0, 1, 2, 3 | 8 to 1 |
| American first five | 0, 00, 1, 2, 3 | 6 to 1 |
The names describe different wagers. The first-five bet's expected profit per chip on a 38-pocket wheel is 5/38 × 6 minus 33/38, or −3/38. Its 7.89% house edge exceeds the ordinary American 5.26% edge.
Other zero-area splits and trios depend on the posted layout. A line between physical wheel neighbors does not establish a legal felt split. The table-layout reference explains that distinction.
A special zero rule needs an explicit rule
Some even-money wagers receive la partage or en prison treatment. A single-zero wheel or French label alone does not establish either. Check the actual settlement before using a reduced-edge calculation.
The European–American comparison holds payouts constant to show the effect of 00. The triple-zero guide describes another extra-pocket game and its own paytable questions.
Sources and scope
- Rules of Play for Table Games, Roulette. British Columbia Lottery Corporation. Double-zero standard payout table and placement. European pocket count is independently verified from native Wheel.
Publication date: not stated. Checked 2026-11-07.
- Roulette probability derivation. Amenti Labs LLC. Fair independent pockets, fixed payouts, full outside loss on zero. Formula and all supported bets regression tested.
Publication date: 2026-11-07. Checked 2026-11-07.
- Live Roulette: game rules and special bets. bet365. Operator-specific single-zero game rules; pages1–3 verify voisins exact trio/corner/split matrix, tiers six splits, orphelins enplein/àcheval variants and jeu0 four positions. Used as a published conventional package, not a universal rule or endorsement. Includes returned stake versus true profit.
Publication date: not stated. Checked 2026-11-08.
- European Roulette: rules of the game. Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer. Published venue European roulette rules:37 pockets, wager names/payouts including firstfour, evenmoney zero division/barredstake choices and prohibition on spokenbets. Does not establish universal French game rules or a repeatedzero policy. Reducededge figures are separately scoped mathematical derivations.
Publication date: not stated. Checked 2026-11-08.