Thirty Six (36)

The number thirty-six is the largest number on a roulette wheel. It´s a red number, just like the smaller number 1. On a European roulette wheel it sits between black 11 and black 13. On an American double zero roulette wheel, it sits between black 13 and black 24.

The number six features quite a bit in roulette. 36 is just 6 times 6 of course, or 6 squared. And it’s 3 times twelve as well of course- another number you see a lot of in roulette.

How to Bet on the Number 36 in Roulette

You can make a straight up bet of course, on the individual number, but if you want to cover more table, you can cover 36 with a red, even or hi even money bet. The last column and the final dozen will also cover 36 for a 2:1 pay out if you win.

Then other that the usual Inside Bets like the Corner Bet, the Split Bet and the Six Line Bet, you could go for a 007 Bet (so called as it looks like a 007 on the table), a Final 6 en Plein bet, a Finales a Cheval on 3 and 6, a Number Combo Bet on 32 or even a Tiers Bet in French roulette. Plenty of options then.

About 36

So, what makes the number 36 tick? Other than it being the highest number on a roulette wheel.

– Well, mathematically, it is quite an interesting number, being the square of 6 and a triangular number (you can form an equilateral triangle with 3 sides of 2). That makes it a square triangular number. The only other one on a roulette wheel is 1.

– It’s also the sum of 2 primes or twin primes- 17 + 19.

– If we are talking Imperial measurements, there are 36 inches in a yard and 36 is the atomic number of Krypton, a noble gas.

– If you add the first 4 odd numbers and the first 4 even numbers together, you get to ……36.

– 36 holds a special place in Judaism, as the light created by God on the first day of creation shone for 36 hours exactly and the Holy book, the Torah instructs its followers 36 times to love, respect and protect strangers (see below for more details).

– Many historians are not so keen on 36, noting that some disasters repeat in multiples of 36 years, such as the floods of Paris in 1658, 1802 and 1910.

– 36 is the number of possible outcomes in most board game dice rolls: the roll of two dice.

– There are thirty-six degrees in the interior angles of each tip of a regular pentagram, or 5 pointed star. It is also the number of outcomes you can get (not adding the numbers) on a roll of 2 dice.

– In the United Kingdom, a standard beer barrel is 36 UK gallons, which is just over 163 litres. Those are not US gallons of course.

The Thirty-Six Stratagems. The Meaning of 36 in China

三 十 六 計

The 36 Stratagems was a Chinese essay used to describe a series of stratagems used in politics, war, and civil interaction. They are from the Book of Qi, and in particular the Biography of Wáng Jìngzé a general who had served Southern Qi. There weren´t actually thirty-six stratagems- the number was used to signify “a lot”.

This probably dates back to the I Ching (the oldest of the Chinese classics), where six is a Yin number associated with cunning schemes you find in military strategy. 36 is the square of six, it represents multiple strategies.

Some of the more interesting ones are, that might have some significance to roulette players are:
– Pretend to take one path while sneaking down another (even better while playing poker).
– Play dumb while remaining smart (useful for roulette clockers).

Judaism

The number 36 holds special significance to people who follow the Jewish faith. According to the Midrash (a mode of interpreting the Hebrew Bible), the light created by God on the first day of creation shone for 36 hours. The light of the Sun replaced it on the Fourth Day.

The Torah teaches you to love, respect and protect strangers 36 times. During Hannukah, which takes place from late November to late December, 36 candles are kindled in the menorah over the 8 days of the holiday.

Summary

36 may seem like an innocuous number, but it hides a lot of secrets. Is it a lucky number in roulette? No luckier than any other number, but ultimately you’ll have to make the call on that one. We can say one thing for sure though. It is the biggest number in roulette.