Roulette is one of the most popular casino games there is, and with many different being offered at the majority of casinos, it can be hard to know where to start. From European, French, and even American Roulette, the rules mostly stay the same, but there’s still a few important details and differences that you will need to make a note of.
Read on to find out the origins of Roulette, and the important ins and outs of this game of chance.
A brief history
Despite the original form of the game arguably dating back to the ancient Greeks, and Roman times, the first form of the Roulette wheel was invented in 1655, by Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician and physicist. Pascal was attempting to defy physics and create a perpetual motion machine, which naturally didn’t work, but did give birth to the first version of the Roulette wheel.
This version remained popular until 1843, when French brothers Francois and Louis Blanc introduced a version of the Roulette wheel with a single zero pocket, where previous wheels had both a single zero and double zero pocket. This meant that the house edge was reduced from 5.25% to 2.70%. The brothers first took the game to Hamburg, Germany, where it gained great popularity. It soon travelled around Europe and landed in Monte Carlo, where Prince Charles III had enlisted their help to build the world’s first modern casino – the Monte Carlo Casino.
This form of the game later became known as European Roulette, whilst American casinos continued to prefer the higher-staked version, with that additional double zero pocket.
How to play
Playing both the American and European versions of Roulette are more-or-less the same, with the only real differences being the additional double zero pocket, and the slightly different arrangement of the numbered pockets. It’s worth noting that the order of the numbers doesn’t make a massive difference to your gameplay, both versions contain a random sequence, and as a game of chance, knowing where the ball is going to land is impossible.
Firstly, you’ll need to place your bets. There are a variety of different bets you can choose from in Roulette, each offering a different payout, depending on your wager. These include:
- Outside bets
Outside bets include the red/black numbers and odd/even numbers, with these giving you just under a 50% chance of winning. There are also column bets, which is three columns of 12, and dozen bets, which covers 12 numbers. You can also choose to bet on numbers one-18, and 19-36.
- Inside bets
Inside bets include straight up bets, which is a bet on a single number, with the highest payout being 35:1. There’s a split bet, where you can split two numbers as long as they are next to each other on the table. A quad bet lets you pick a group of numbers in one corner, and a street bet lets you place your wager on any row of numbers. A double street bet lets you bet on two rows of numbers by betting on the line that divides the first numbers of each row, and the line separating them from the outside area.
Once you’ve placed your bets, the dealer will spin the wheel, and wherever the ball lands will decide if you’ve won. It really is as simple as that!
Top tips for beginners
As a beginner, all those variations can make choosing where to start particularly difficult. So, why not ease yourself in and play Roulette online on Sky Vegas, or wherever else you like to play, to get a feel for the game without the potential pressures of the brick-and-mortar casino environment.
Whilst having other players around you can sometimes add to the fun, playing at an online casino will allow you to ease you in at your own pace. Then, when you’re confident, playing at a live online casino could be the perfect next step, before finally visiting a brick-and-mortar establishment. Live casino games will allow you to play any form of Roulette you’d like, with a real human dealer, in real-time, as they’re live streamed from a specialist studio straight to your device!
Despite French Roulette having certain unique rules that can lower the house edge even further, your best bet is still to start off by playing a game of European Roulette, until you’re more familiar with the basic rules. Only then, would we recommend upping the ante!
If you enjoy games and gaming and want more NEWS from the Gaming World Click Here
You must be logged in to post a comment.