If you’ve ever considered playing both American and European roulette, then you might have heard that the zero pocket bears special significance in this casino game.
The zero in roulette wasn’t a distinguishing feature of the game until the mid-19th century, when two successful businessmen (and gamblers) made an adjustment to the popularised roulette wheel.
That changed the entire landscape of roulette, at least, where the house edge is concerned. Adding a new number to the roulette wheel meant that the house edge was to soar; moreso, when playing American roulette, which now features the double zero as well as the single zero.
So, what is the significance of this number, what colour is zero on a roulette wheel and how does it affect your odds of landing a winning bet? Let’s take a brief look at how the zero came to be and what it means for you as a roulette player.
WHAT COLOUR IS ZERO ON THE ROULETTE WHEEL?
The zero in roulette is green, but why? As you may know, the entire roulette wheel is divided into sections of alternating colours — red and black. Players can wager on various outcomes, like Odd or Even, Low or High and Red or Black.
The roulette wheels used in Parisian casinos had red for the single zero and black for the double zero, even though the zeroes were not included in the wagers above.
To avoid confusion, green (colour complementary to red) was selected for the zeroes and is the colour used to this day.
WHAT IS THE ROULETTE ZERO POCKET ON EUROPEAN ROULETTE WHEEL?
In a single-zero game, that is, any European roulette variant, the zero can be found in the green pocket — the only one among the 37 red and black numbers.
Zero bets offer a big payout, but their odds of paying are very low — so much so that players tend to avoid placing a bet on zero.
AMERICAN ROULETTE DOUBLE ZERO
In double-zero roulette games, that is, any American roulette variant, the extra zero can be found in the second green pocket, along with the single zero in a separate pocket.
Double zero bets offer the greatest payouts, but their odds of paying are even lower than their sinngle-zero counterparts. As a result, players almost never place a bet on it.
BETTING ON GREEN ZERO IN ROULETTE
Before betting on the zero of a European roulette wheel, make sure that you understand the low likelihood of it paying. Most bets on zero are synonymous with losing bets, but this might not necessarily be the case if luck is on your side.
In order to bet on zero, simply follow the steps below:
- Just like any single number bet, select the green zero from the many bets available in the betting layout.
- Carefully select the number of chips you want to bet.
- That’s it! Once you’ve placed your bet, all you can do is hope that the ball lands on zero on the roulette wheel.
TACTICS AROUND BETTING ON ZERO
The most efficient way to play roulette would be placing even-money bets which, although only paying even money when successful, have the highest odds of paying.
With that said, if you really want to incorporate the green zero in your betting, there is an efficient way to do it.
VOISINS DU ZERO
The Voisins du Zero bet — which translates to ‘neighbours of zero’ — refers to exactly that: 16 numbers that sit around the green zero on the roulette wheel. In French and European roulette, the series of numbers goes as follows: 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25.
LA PARTAGE RULE
Normally found in French roulette tables, the La Partage rule helps reduce the house edge in a very particular way. Before getting into that, let’s take a quick detour.
At any roulette table, all bets are nullified if the ball lands on the green zero, seeing as it is not odd, even, red, black, or a number between 1-18 or 19-36.
The La Partage rule comes into the equation when the ball lands on the green zero, but instead of losing your even money bets, you’ll receive half back. The dealer will split your bets in half, and you’ll thus receive half of every split bet.
EN PRISON RULE
This rule works similarly to the one above. En Prison is triggered once you place a 1:1 wager and lose to a 0 if you are playing European roulette or both 0 and 00 if you’re playing at an American roulette table.
If you trigger the En Prison rule, you won’t be required to add any more chips since your wager will remain on the table. However, one thing to know is that, while you do receive a free shot at the next spin, you aren’t allowed to change the stake or the type of your wager.
ZERO ON ROULETTE WHEEL AND THE HOUSE EDGE
Let’s take the single zero as an example. The European roulette wheel contains the zero and numbers 1-36, with 18 in red and 18 in black. The highest payout, for a straight up bet on any single number, is 35:1 — but the odds against winning are 36 to 1! Thus, the expected value on a €1 bet is -€0.027, which translates into a house edge of 2.70%.
Outside bets on roulette (like Red/Black and Odd/Even) have the highest probability of hitting and pay 1:1. The zero causes an offset in the odds of hitting an even-money bet, which is why the chances are just under 50%. In other words, the zero directly represents the roulette house edge. The house edge, or advantage, is the average amount a player is expected to lose relative to any bet made.
Since there is an additional pocket on the American wheel, the odds swing in favour of the house even further. If you wager on a single number, the probability of winning the 35:1 payout is 1/38, while the chances of losing the bet are 37/38.
In turn, the expected value on a €1 wager is -€0.0526, resulting in a house edge of 5.26%. This is precisely why the European wheel is widely preferred over the American, double-zero wheel. Online casino players can often choose between the two wheels, and even though the odds are always in favour of the casino on every spin — the European wheel is an obvious winner.
ROULETTE ZERO TIPS
Betting on zero doesn’t boil down to much more than being mindful of the low probability of it paying and the high house edge that comes with it. Here are some tips that perfectly sum up the precautions you should take when placing a bet on the green zero.
- Avoid the American roulette wheel: With an extra two zeros, the American game of roulette packs a house edge of 5.25%, which is an exceedingly high percentage compared to European roulette tables. Most players tend to avoid playing American roulette because of this very reason.
- Whenever possible, opt for the French or European roulette wheel: Single-zero roulette offers a much lower house advantage than the American version — in European roulette, the exact percentage stands at 2.7%.
- If you really wish to bet on the green zero, don’t wager too much money: Just like any single-number bet, betting on the green zero carries a low chance of paying, so it wouldn’t be a good idea to wager large amounts of cash funds in the hope of it paying.
- Opt for La Partage tables: La Partage tables are quite sought after for the reasons we’ve described above. Online casinos tend to feature at least one roulette game that incorporates the La Partage feature, and, seeing how it reimburses half of your original bet (as long as it’s even and that the ball lands on the green zero), it is quite a good choice.
There’s not much more to keep in mind when betting on zero. Ultimately, all roulette games boil down to raw luck — the chance of the ball landing on any number is equal, so there’s no predicting where it will land. All you can really do is hope that luck is on your side.
FAQ
How to bet on zero in roulette?
In order to bet on zero, simply follow the steps below:
- Just like any number bet, select the green zero from the many bets available in the betting layout.
- Carefully select the number of chips you want to bet.
- That’s it! Once you’ve placed your bet, all you can do is hope that the ball lands on zero on the roulette wheel.
What happens when you land on zero in roulette?
If you’ve bet on zero and the ball lands on that very number, congratulations! You’ll win a payout of 17:1.
If your roulette table incorporates the La Partage feature and the ball ends up on the green zero, you’ll receive half your 1:1 wagers. The dealer will split your bets in half, and you’ll thus receive half of every split bet.
Does zero count as even or odd in roulette?
The green zero is not odd, even, red, black, or a number between 1-18 or 19-36. It is a special number whose main purpose is to net the casino the house advantage.
What is the roulette green payout?
At an American roulette wheel, if you bet on 0 or 00 and your bet hits, you’ll get a payout of 35 to 1. If you place a row bet (betting on both 0 and 00), and your bet hits, you’ll get a payout of 17 to 1.
Unlike the American roulette wheel, European and French roulette wheels only have one 0. Nevertheless, the payout for betting on zero is 35:1. This is the main reason why players prefer to play roulette at French or European tables instead of American ones.
Can I bet on zero in roulette with a casino bonus?
Whether with a Welcome Bonus or a normal Deposit Bonus, you can bet on whichever number you like in roulette.
When looking to play roulette, players usually turn to online casinos that offer the very best bonuses among the lot, and with good reason. In principle, casino bonuses give players more opportunities to place bets than their money would be worth without the bonuses activated, thus providing them with longer entertainment than usual.
LV BET regularly offers bonuses and other promotions to its users. You can find the latest bonuses at our Casino by visiting our ‘Promotions‘ page. It’s important to keep in mind that the availability of the Welcome Bonus, as well as all other casino bonuses at our Casino, may differ depending on the player’s jurisdiction; the rewards may vary as well.
Furthermore, do not disregard the Terms and Conditions (T&Cs), since this section aims to answer all the questions you might have about a specific bonus or promotion. For instance, information regarding the minimum deposit, wagering requirements and if game contributions vary will be found in the T&Cs.