Roulette is one of the most popular casino games. This game has many variants without popular ones being European, American, and French Roulette. Each Roulette variant has a wheel with compartments numbered from 0 to 36.
The American Roulette is one of the variants with more zero pockets. The rule zero refers to when the ball lands on the zero pocket on the Roulette wheel.
A ball landing on the zero pocket gives the house an edge as all players lose their bets except for players who specifically bet on zero.
The Basics of Zero in Roulette
The rule zero in Roulette is a pivotal moment as it determines the payout and playing strategies. The house usually has an edge as players lose their bets if they didn’t bet on the zero pocket.
However, if players bet on the zero pocket, they can win various amounts depending on the bets. Each Roulette variant offers odds of 35 to 1 bet placed on the zero pocket.
That means for every dollar or euro a player bets, they receive their dollar back and receive an additional 35 dollars.
However, these Roulette variants have different numbers of zero pockets, which impacts the probability of winning a bet or the house having an edge:
- European Roulette: One zero pocket (0)
- French Roulette: One zero pocket (0)
- American Roulette: Two zero pockets (0 and 00)
- Triple Zero Roulette: Three zero pockets (0, 00, and 000)
Types of Roulette Wheels
European and American Roulette are the most popular variants of this casino game. They differ in the number of zero pockets on the Roulette wheel.
- European single zero (0):The European Roulette has a wheel with only one zero pocket on the Roulette wheel. The wheel has a total of 37 pockets. Pockets ranging from 1 to 36 are coloured red and black in an alternating pattern. On the other hand, the zero pocket is coloured green.
- American double zero (0, 00): American Roulette has two zero pockets on its wheel. The wheel has 38 pockets in total with zero pockets taking two. The pockets alternate between red and black colors with the two zero pockets painted green.
- Impact on House Edge Percentages: European Roulette has a single zero pocket, giving the house an edge of 2.70%. On the other hand, American Roulette has two zero pockets, increasing the edge to 5.26%.
Even-Money Bets Affected
Even-money bets are wagers that predict one of two outcomes: Red/Black or Odd/Even. The bet usually has a payout of 1:1, meaning for every dollar wagered, the player wins a dollar. Roulette has three types of even-money bets:
- Red/Black: The player bets on a winning number to be either red or black.
- Odd/Even: Players can also bet on the winning number to be either odd or even.
- High/Low: Players bet that the winning number ranges from 1-18 (low) or 19-36 (high).
La Partage Rule Explained
This is a rule on Roulette that protects players to some extent. If a player bets on an even-money bet but the ball lands on the zero pocket, the player loses only half of their wagered amount.
Geographic Variations
While Roulette is a popular casino game, it varies geographically hence the different variants.
French casinos
French Roulette uses a single zero pocket on the wheel. Players get half of the bet on La Partage or the entire bet on En Prison.
European casinos
European Roulette shares features with the French Roulette except the La Partage or En Prison benefits.
Monte Carlo traditions
Monte Carlo Roulette shifts the focus to style and elegance as players dress formally and wager high stakes. The casino setting is one of a ceremonial approach to gambling.
American casino differences
Since the American Roulette has two zero pockets, the edge of the house increases significantly.
Players have a higher risk of winning even-money bets. Players can choose the basket bet that allows them to bet on the two zero pockets, pockets 1, 2, and 3 simultaneously.
Impact on Playing Strategy
Rule zero in Roulette affects even-money bets because players lose their entire bets. The French Roulette using the La Partage Rule gives half the player’s bet if the ball lands on the zero pocket.
Therefore, players should choose the French Roulette variant. Since the rule zero can spell a loss of a bet, players can use the Martingale or Fibonacci betting strategies to recover the lost bet.
Common Misconceptions
Some players think that zero is one of the numbers on the Roulette wheel. In reality, zero doesn’t belong to any odd or even number, and neither does it belong to the red or black color.
Also, some people think that you can’t bet on the zero pocket. Players can bet on this pocket and get a payout of 35 to 1. What’s more, some people might think that zero pocket only affects even-money bets when the reality is that it affects all types of bets.
Conclusion
Roulette is a casino game with many variants like the American and European Roulette. Each Roulette table has a wheel with compartments. The zero compartment or zero pocket is one of the compartments on the Roulette wheel.
If a ball lands on the zero pocket, it results in all bets that didn’t predict the ball falling on the zero pocket being lost. And that’s what Roulette casino rule zero is about.