Roulette has long been established as one of the most popular casino games. The roulette wheel spins in one direction with the ball spinning in the opposite direction around the angled circular track on the outside of the wheel. When the ball loses momentum, it falls on to the wheel into one of 37 coloured or numbered pockets (38 in the American version). Players can place bets on either a single number or a range of numbers, the colours red or black, or whether the number is odd or even.
The rapid recent growth in online gambling has led to an explosion of interest in roulette and other casino games. There are now a wide variety of different versions of the game with something to suit players of every level.
History
The modern online roulette is the latest version in a long history of the game. Frenchman Blaise Pascal created a primitive form of the game in the 17th century and roulette has been played in its present form since 1796. The original game had wheels with red for the single zero and black for the double zero. The colour green was introduced for the zeros in the 1800’s to avoid confusion.
In 1843, François and Louis Blanc introduced the single 0-style roulette wheel in Germany so that they could compete against casinos offering the traditional wheel. Roulette spread all over Europe and the U.S.A., quickly becoming one of the most popular casino games. Following the abolition of gambling in Germany in the 1860’s, the Blanc family moved to Monte Carlo, the last legal remaining casino operation in Europe. Here they created a Mecca for the gambling elite of Europe and the single zero roulette wheel was established as the leading version of the game.
In the United States, the double zero wheel was eventually placed on top of the table to prevent devices being hidden in the table or wheel, and the betting layout was simplified. This eventually evolved into the American style roulette game with simplified betting using either a single or double zero wheel, that now dominates in most casinos around the world. The double zero wheel is still to be found in the U.S., Canada and South America while the single zero wheel is predominant in Europe.
How To Play
The pockets of the roulette wheel are numbered from 1 to 36. In the ranges 1 to 10 and 19 to 28, odd numbers are red and even numbers are black. From numbers 11 to 18 and 29 to 36, odd numbers are black and even numbers are red. The 0 (zero) pocket is green, as is the 00 in American roulette.
Roulette players have a variety of betting options. Placing ‘inside’ bets is either selecting the exact number of the pocket the ball will land in, or a small range of pockets based on their proximity on the layout. Players that wish to bet on the 'outside' will select bets on larger groupings of pockets, the pocket colour, or whether the winning number will be odd or even. The payout odds for each type of bet are based on its probability.
The roulette table will impose its own minimum and maximum bets, and these rules usually apply separately for a player's inside and outside bets on each spin. For inside bets at roulette tables, some casinos may use roulette chips of different colours to distinguish between players at the table. Players can continue to place bets as the ball spins around the wheel until the dealer announces ‘no more bets’.
When a winning number and colour has been determined, the dealer will place a marker or dolly on the winning number on the roulette table layout. When the marker is in place, players are not permitted to place, collect or remove any bets from the table. The dealer will then remove all losing bets and determine the payouts to the inside and outside winning bets.
Tips & Tricks
Playing European roulette will give you better odds than the American version. The 00 slot on American Roulette gives the house a bigger advantage, as both the 0 and 00 slots are not included in any outside bets. There is a huge range of online casinos to choose from and it is well worth taking your time to select the most suitable for you. It is a good idea to visit the review section of specialist sites on the Internet and make a shortlist to explore at your leisure. If you are comfortable on the site, it will make playing a lot more fun and increase your chances of making a profit.
Practise is essential before you risk your hard-earned cash. A lot of casinos will offer free versions of most of their roulette games, so you can get in some practice before risking a penny. It is always best to start with the basic versions before trying your luck with the more complicated games on offer. You should set aside a ‘bank’ that you are prepared to lose and establish this as your stopping point. There are many ways of controlling your betting and you should have a strategy in place before you start playing for money.
Every site that you visit will offer bonuses and promotions. They will try to entice you to register with them with some very tempting welcome bonuses and it is certainly worth comparing them before you sign up. Roulette is a game of chance, but using strategies can help you to keep track of your chips and give you a better chance of winning. There are many good sites offering plans and strategies for roulette that are free to use. You may even develop one or more of these strategies to suit your own game.
Take your time to learn what each bet includes and what their payouts will be. The most obvious bets, such as black/red, are easy to understand but the odds soon change when you start spreading the risk. Once you have a full understanding of bets and their potential returns, the game becomes a lot easier and a lot more fun!