The game of roulette is one of the top images that come to a person’s mind when they hear about casinos. This game has been around for centuries, and its traditions are deeply rooted in the first casino establishments to open doors.
The interactive gameplay and the overall aura of the game have made it a staple activity at any casino, be it online or land-based. There is probably no person who wouldn’t recognize the typical wheel, ball, and table used for this game.
Casino Roulette Basics
In short, roulette works like this. On a large table is the wheel itself, as well as a felt mat marked with boxes in red or black, as well as boxes that are also numbered in addition to being colored. The player chooses where to place their bets by indicating color and/or number(s), though different combinations are possible. The croupier then spins the roulette wheel, drops the ball, and the player wins if the ball stops at a field that they bet on; otherwise, the casino or “house” wins.
These are generally the elements that make up the game of roulette. The idea of keeping track of placing bets while paying attention to suits, numbers, balls, and everything that happens on the table may seem intimidating, but it’s actually easy to learn how to play roulette.
Types of Roulette
There are several types of roulette that differ according to the rules of the game, although these differences at first glance are minimal. Still, they can significantly change the odds of winning.
American Roulette
Roulette has been played for centuries, and its origin is considered to be France or Italy. Its transfer to the States in the 18th century, however, led to the so-called “American roulette” that somewhat differs in rules from the European way.
In fact, the main difference is that the American version has two zero fields—the traditional field with a single zero and another one with a double zero. This makes the game more favorable for the casinos as it increases their odds of winning the bet. This is because if the ball lands on a zero field, the player loses.
Of course, all kinds of roulette are available in the States these days, including the well-known one-zero variant. In fact, in its original American version, the roulette had fewer numbers and also an eagle symbol that played the role of another zero field. However, this option did not gain popularity and was quickly dropped.
European Roulette
According to historical records, roulette originated in Europe. However, since they date back as much as 5 centuries, it is not clear exactly where the first game of roulette was invented or played. Some attribute it to a similar Italian wheel game, while others say that it originated in France; the name of the game is French and means “little wheel.”
At the time, casino games were an activity reserved for the highest strata of society, but over time they became available to everyone who had the legal right to gamble. Meanwhile, roulette became popular not only throughout Europe but also throughout the world, reaching distant continents.
An interesting fact is that the aforementioned American version of double zero roulette is similar to the earliest version of the “European” rules. In the beginning in Europe as well, roulette had two zeros, but it was replaced by the one-zero version. This is also the most common type of roulette nowadays.
In view of the modern approach to casino games, the growth enjoyed by online casinos should also be noted. Online casinos allow players to play a huge variety of casino games, including roulette, anywhere, anytime. One of the interesting offerings in this field is the so-called “live casino,” which combines online casinos with a brick-and-mortar casino experience. This happens via a live video link, meaning players play remotely at a table with a croupier spinning a physical roulette wheel.
Beating the roulette?
And finally, perhaps the topic that intrigues players the most is how to maximize their chance of winning. For as long as casinos have existed, or at least since they became available to any legally allowed player, there have been countless “systems” seemingly offering guaranteed winnings.
In this case it’s important to consider the type of game. In some casino games like poker, players play against each other, and there is a very strong psychological element involved. With them, one can talk about “play the player” type of approaches, where indeed experience and educational materials can raise a player’s skills to a high level.
For roulette specifically, there are also a number of models that claim to give the player an advantage. The reality is, however, that this is a game that doesn’t lend itself to long-term systems. And the reason is very simple—each event, i.e., rotation of the ball, is independent of the previous one. That is, an n-number of losses or wins does not guarantee in any way that the next outcome will be different. Still, roulette remains one of the most popular and preferred casino games.
