A staple at traditional brick-and-mortar casinos, Roulette has always been one of the most popular table games in the world, and is probably the second most played casino game after blackjack. Also one of the easiest games to learn and play, since players can see the table and all the wagers available, roulette is the game of choice for both novice players and high rollers. The game has been depicted in many films, TV shows, and books, and it’s certainly the most recognizable casino setting, with a glamorous and sophisticated image.
Roulette originated in France in the 18th century, when French mathematician and inventor Blaise Pascal created a primitive version of the game during his research to develop a perpetual motion machine. The mechanism used today takes the wheel from the Pascal device and some of the rules of an ancient Italian game called cavagnole. The first accounts of the game date back to the end of the same century, when it was described in a novel by Jacques Lablee, in which French aristocrats play the game at the Palais Royal in Paris.
Roulette is also one of the most popular casino games online, and has been featured in casino websites since the 1990s, when the first online casino was launched. Thanks to technological advancements, online roulette kept improving over the years, as computers became able to handle continuous generation of random numbers and complex screen graphics.
Today, there are many variants of the game available online, from themed tables to multiball roulette, and live dealer games as well, with professional croupiers operating and managing the game. Since the list of online casinos is almost endless, it can be somewhat difficult to find trusted operators, but at OnlineCasinoGames.com players can find the most trustworthy websites alongside reviews and special bonuses.
Wheel Layout
Roulette can be played with two different wheel layouts – the American and the French. The French wheel contains numbers ranging from 1 to 36, and includes one single-zero pocket.The numbers are laid out so that red and black, odds and evens, and highs and lows are always alternated and spread out evenly around the wheel.
The American wheel contains the same range of numbers, but it features both a single-zero and a double-zero pocket, and numbers are laid out in a different pattern with less balance.
The house edge, which is the amount players lose on average over time, also varies with the wheel layout. Since the French layout features 37 pockets, it has a house edge of just 2.7%, which means punters lose $2.7 for every $100 wagered, on average and over time. The American layout, with its additional zero pocket, has a house edge of 5.26%.
Inside and Outside Bets
There are two types of bets in a game of roulette, inside and outside bets. Outside bets are those placed on a predetermined range of numbers, and are low-risk bets, which mean they have better odds, but lower payouts. Outside bets are divided into six different wagers: “1 to 18” and “19 to 36”, red or back, even or odd, dozen bet (1-12, 13-24, or 25-36) and column bet (one of the three columns in the number field).
Inside bets are the wagers made on specific numbers within the roulette field, and are also divided into six wagers: straight up (single number), split (two adjacent numbers), street (three numbers in the same row), corner or square (groups of four numbers), five bet (covering 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3, depending on the layout), and the line bet (two adjacent rows). Inside bets are high-risk wagers, therefore offer better payouts.
Improving Winnings
Since roulette is a game of chance, with more luck attributed than other factors, there isn’t a single strategy for increasing the player’s edge. However, a quick way to boost winnings is to select the variant that offers the best payouts and house edges. Players should always opt for the French roulette, since it features a lower house edge. It’s important to look out for special rules as well, such as the “en prison” rule, which allows punters to play an extra ball if the first one lands on zero, or the surrender rule, which gives bettors refunds in case the ball lands on zero.
Players can also try one of the many betting systems for casino games, such as the Martingale and the D’Alembert systems. However, since most of these are negative-expectation systems and derive from the gambler’s fallacy, it’s important to remember to gamble responsibly.
A common mistake made by novice players is disregarding bonuses and special promo codes offered by online casinos. These promotions usually grant several advantages, such as special deposit conditions and extra funds. Most operators provide different kinds of offers, including welcome and loyalty bonuses, so it’s important to always check for new promotions.
