Casino Games World

Introduction to Roulette

Roulette: American and European Versions:

The game of Roulette is an easy one to pick up and hard to put down. That "little wheel" ( Roulette is French for 'little wheel") has mesmerized millions for more than 3 centuries. The Roulette Wheel has come to be the international symbol for games of chance. Being even more popular in European countries because of the house edge using the European Roulette Wheel which are single zero wheels and gives the house an edge of 2.70% as apposed to the American Roulette Wheel which are double zero wheels and gives the house an edge of 5.25%, Roulette has surpassed the popularity of all other games of chance. Gaining in popularity, European Roulette is widely played in online casinos, who in all fairness offer both versions of the game. The payouts are the same in either type of Roulette and are outlined below.

American Wheel - A roulette wheel slots numbered from 1 to 36, plus a 0 and 00.

Column Bet - The roulette table is divided into three columns and you bet that the number will fall into a selected column. Payout: 2:1

Corner Bet - Betting on four numbers at the same time. Payout: 8:1

Croupier - Runs the roulette table.

Dozen Bet - Wagering on numbers that come in twelve's ex. 1 to 12, 13 to 24 or 25 to 36. Payout: 2:1

Double-zero - 00 slot on the roulette wheel.

European Wheel - Contains the numbers 1 to 36, plus one zero.

Even-Odd Bet - An even or an odd number bet. Payout: 1:1

Five Number Bet - A bet on 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3. Payout: 6:1

French wheel - A wheel containing just one zero.

High-Low Bet - A bet on the numbers 1 to 18 or 19 to 36. Payout: 1:1

Inside Bet - A bet on any number or set of numbers. Inside Bets include: 5-number bets, 6-number bets, Corner bets, Split bets, Straight bets and Trio bets

Outside Bet - A bet on Red, Black, Odd, Even, High (19 to 36) or Low numbers (1 to 18). Outside Bets include: Columns bets, Dozens bets, Even or Odd bets, High or Low bets and Red or Black bets

Red-Black Bet - The payout for a Red-Black Bet is 1:1

Six-Number Bet - Betting on six numbers at the same time. Payout: 5:1

Split Bet - A bet on two numbers at the same time. Payout: 17:1

Straight Bet - A bet on a single number, can be multiple bets Payout: 35:1

Straight Up Bet - A bet on a single number only. Payout: 35:1

Trio Bet - Betting on three numbers at the same time. Payout: 11:1

Zero - 0 Slot

Playing Roulette:

The American Roulette Wheel has 38 slots in the US or 37 slots in Europe. European Roulette is by far the most sought after by serious players, so when looking for somewhere to play, look for the European Roulette Wheel. Both versions can be found in most online casinos, and I recommend playing both to decide which is best suited to you. Personally, I have had a lot of luck hitting the double 00's and have won a good deal of money on it. But this is only my personal opinion.

The slots are numbered from 1 to 36 and alternate between red and black. There are also green sections for the 0 or 00 slots.

Numbers 1 - 18 are considered the lows and 19-36 are considered the highs.

Place your bet on a number, a group of numbers, or color. When all the bets are placed the dealer/croupier tosses the ball along the wheels rim. The slot that the ball stops on is the winning number or color.

There are no minimums on how often you can bet, but you must bet the table minimum and maximum when it comes to the amount of the bet.

Many people have come up with winning strategies on Roulette but in reality, and if you ask most seasoned Roulette players, these don't work.

If someone had a truly winning strategy why would they be sharing it? The best strategy is to pay attention to the wheel and how it is playing during a particular game session.

People get very intense when playing Roulette but the truth is, although very addictive this is not a very interactive game. But in most players minds, Lady Luck plays the biggest part in whether they

win or lose and therefore do all they can to make sure she is on their side. Whether it's to have that lovely lady next to you, pick your number, or maybe you like to kiss your chips

before placing your bet. It's every gamblers desire to give luck a little push when it comes to their betting.

History of Roulette:

The roots of Roulette can't be traced back to it's origin because there is no written history, but it has been traced back at least 300 years with accuracy and is believed to go back as far as the days of the Gladiators who were said to tip over their chariots and play games of chance by spinning the wheels. The first recorded account of a similar game was in the 1700's and the game was called Roly Poly and was played very much like the game today with a spinning wheel and a small ball with bets placed as to where the ball would land. This game was soon outlawed in England by the Gaming Act of 1739 and 1740. Modern versions of the Roulette Wheel began making their appearances in Paris in the late 1700's and haven't changed much since then. By the early 1800's Roulette had made it's way to America, debuting in New Orleans courtesy of the Europeans. This version has slight differences such as only 31 slots, numbers 1-28, 0, 00 and an Eagle Pocket and the payouts were only 26 to 1 on a single number win giving the house a 12.90% edge.

Players soon realized that it was impossible to beat the house edge and stopped playing the game.