Roulette wheel has the shape of a cyclic basin on a spindle. It is nearly 90 centimeters (3 feet) in diameter and its weight is about hundred pounds.
The perimeter of the wheel is made of polished wood, evenly divided among red and black "pockets", one or two green pockets for "zero" and "double zero". Pocket is a container that a ball come to rest in.
The wheel is a perfectly balanced mechanism. It's manufactured with a high precision and accuracy so that the numbers come up randomly. To be sure casinos check and balance their wheels regularly.
There are two types of the wheel: American and European. The main differences are:
- American roulette has 38 numbers (1 to 36, a 0 "zero" and a 00 "double zero") while the European 37 numbers (1 to 36 and 0 "zero"').
- Distribution of the numbers on the wheels. For more details read:
American roulette wheel diagram
European roulette wheel diagram - Numbers on European wheel face inwards and outwards on American wheel.
The French roulette wheel is the same as European.