What Is a Roulette Wheel Sequence?
The roulette wheel sequence is the physical order of pockets around the wheel, starting at zero and going clockwise. It is not the same as the numbered grid on the betting table. Two versions exist: a single-zero wheel (used on European and French tables) and a double-zero wheel (used on American tables).
This page shows the full number order on both wheels, explains why they were designed that way, and gives you a printable roulette wheel sheet you can save or bring to the table.
European Roulette Wheel Sequence
The European roulette wheel has 37 pockets: numbers 1 to 36 and one green 0. The clockwise number sequence starting from 0 is:
Read that as a loop: after 26 you are back at 0. Every odd/even, red/black and high/low pair is alternated as evenly as possible so no half of the wheel favours one outcome. This is the single zero wheel and it is the reference version most cheat sheets are built around.
French Roulette Wheel Sequence
French roulette uses the exact same physical wheel as European roulette. The wheel sequence is identical, the pockets are identical and the odds on straight-up bets are identical. What differs is the table (French terminology instead of English) and the optional La Partage or En Prison rules that reduce the effective house edge on even-money bets.
If you learn one wheel sequence, you have already learned the French one too.
American Roulette Wheel Sequence
The American roulette wheel has 38 pockets: numbers 1 to 36, one green 0 and one green 00. The clockwise number sequence starting from 0 is:
0 and 00 sit directly opposite each other on the wheel. Every numbered pocket also sits directly across from its consecutive partner (1 opposite 2, 3 opposite 4, and so on). This is the double zero wheel, and it pushes the house edge from 2.70% (European) to 5.26%.
Roulette Wheel Sequence vs Table Layout
Wheel and table describe two different objects with two different jobs.
- The wheel layout is the physical pocket order on the spinning wheel. It is designed to alternate colour, parity and high/low as evenly as possible.
- The betting layout (the felt grid) arranges numbers 1 to 36 in three columns of twelve so chips can be placed cleanly on inside and outside bets.
A "split" on the felt (like 1 and 2 side by side) is not the same as a physical neighbour on the wheel. Neighbours and sectors always follow the wheel, not the table. See the roulette table layout for the grid side of the same story.
Why Wheel Sequence Matters
The wheel sequence matters for a few practical reasons:
- Neighbours bets: a bet on "17 and neighbours" covers 17 plus a chosen count of pockets on each side. That grouping is defined by the wheel, not the felt.
- Sector bets and call bets: Voisins du Zéro, Tiers du Cylindre, Orphelins and Jeu Zéro are all wheel-based groups. See roulette wheel sectors for a full breakdown.
- Visual betting: some players like to spread chips across an arc of the wheel rather than a rectangle of the table.
Understanding the pocket order helps you read what a call bet actually covers. It does not predict where the ball will land - each spin remains independent and random.
Download the Roulette Wheel Sequence Sheet
The printable roulette wheel sequence sheet contains both wheel orders on a single page - European/French single zero on top, American double zero underneath, plus a short note reminding readers that wheel sequence and table layout are not the same.
Download Roulette Wheel Sequence PDF
For the wider roulette reference (odds, payouts, systems and rules) go back to the roulette cheat sheet PDF hub.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing table layout with wheel sequence. The felt is a grid; the wheel is a circle. They serve different purposes.
- Assuming both wheels have the same number order. European and American wheels have completely different clockwise sequences.
- Thinking wheel order changes the house edge. The edge comes from the zero (and 00), not from where numbers sit.
- Using wheel patterns as a guaranteed prediction method. No sequence, sector or arc predicts the next spin on a maintained wheel.
Responsible gambling note: Roulette is a negative expectation game. Cheat sheets and strategy guides help you understand bets, payouts and risk, but no system removes the house edge. Only play with money you can afford to lose, and stop when play stops feeling controlled.
For odds, payouts, wheel layouts and betting systems across every variant, return to the main roulette cheat sheet hub.