Roulette is a game that, in forms, has been spun since Ancient Greek and Roman times. Whilst the primitive version of the wheel wasn’t invented until 1655, Greeks and Romans would spin weapons like shields, swords, and chariot wheels between battles as a way to unwind, whilst betting on the outcome.
Whilst these games have a similarity to that of the Roulette wheel we love today, the classic casino game has become more than an icon, featuring in many land-based and online venues, as well as Hollywood films and in the heart of the Monte Carlo Casino.
With this in mind, join us as we give you a whistle-stop tour of Roulette knowledge, to brush up on all your skills for the next time you play online Roulette, or spin the wheel at a land-based establishment.
Read on to find out more.
Blaise Pascal
As previously mentioned, the Roulette wheel was invented in 1655. This was actually by accident, but nevertheless is accredited to French mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal, thanks to his failed attempt at defying physics to create a perpetual motion machine.
Being an avid gambler himself, Pascal’s creation rose in popularity.
The European wheel
No major changes were made to the wheel until 1843, when French brothers Francois and Louis Blanc moved to Hamburg, Germany, and revolutionized Roulette by removing the double zero pocket and leaving only the single green zero.
By lowering the house edge, they helped to boost Hamburg’s economy, until later being forced to move once again and settle in Monaco, where they struck a deal with the royal family at the time and created the first modern casino: The Monte Carlo Casino.
When their popular single-zero variation of Roulette made it across to American shores, it wasn’t as widely accepted, and so became known as European Roulette and the double zero version as American Roulette.
Going digital
For many years, each variation of the Roulette wheel dominated casinos around the world, until 1996, when the first online casino debuted. Naturally, the already-popular Roulette was one of the first to take the stage, and when more and more people gained access to computers, technology advanced further to allow improvements to the games, making the wheel more popular than ever before.
Also read about: Bonus Hunting
How to play
It doesn’t matter whether you opt to play Roulette online or at a land-based casino – gameplay remains the same. You can place a variety of bets, each broken down into two main sections known as inside and outside bets.
The outside bets are usually recommended to beginners, as these are the betting combinations found on the outside of the table and consist of some even-money bets such as red/black, even/odd, and high/low.
When placing your wager on an even-money outside bet, you have just under a 50% chance of winning, reduced ever so slightly by the green zero(s).
After you’ve chosen where you’d like to place your wager and the betting window has been closed, the professionally trained dealer will proceed to spin the wheel and set a little ball (known as a pill) spinning in the opposite direction.
When the wheel comes to a halt, the pocket in which the ball rests will reveal the outcome. If your bet covers the outcome, you’ll win.
Now your Roulette knowledge is refreshed, will you be taking your chances on the wheel?
