Roulette

Named after the French for “Little Wheel” roulette is a casino game that is found in online and offline casinos around the world. It is a simple game with very simple bets, but there are also more complicated bets and ways of playing for experienced players, and this is what attracts so many people to the game.
What is Roulette?

The modern game of roulette is believed to have been invented in France during the 18th century, although it was available in primitive forms for up to 100 years before that. It was essentially a mix of old English and French games, combined to create a gambling game that was relatively simple to setup and could be played by people with little to no prior experience or understanding.

The first roulette wheel to make it into a modern casino was in 1796 in Paris, but over the next hundred years the game spread across Europe, picking up additions and changes along the way as it began to more closely resemble the game that we know today.

The initially American roulette wheels were actually different to European ones, but they eventually began to use the same format and by the end of the nineteenth century, roulette had pretty much conquered the casino world, becoming one of the most popular games in global casinos.

Today it is arguably the most popular game in the casino, and almost certainly the most popular table game.

How to Play Roulette

Roulette is a very simple game to play. It involves a wheel, a betting table, a croupier and any number of players. The players play against the bank and not each other, and they can also make similar or identical bets to one another if they wish.

The wheel features numbers from one to 37, in alternating red and black colors. There is also a “0” on the wheel which is colored in green. The game begins when the players place their bets. They can choose to place bets on a specific number, giving them a large return on their money, but with little chance of them winning, or they can choose bets with smaller odds, such as “Black/Red” “Odd/Even” and more. One of the most common bets is to choose between three banks of numbers, in this game players get decent odds for selecting from the first third, second third or final third of numbers. Bets are signaled by players placing their chips on the number or space they wish to bet on. More complicated bets can also be placed, such as by placing chips in between four numbers, therefore winning if one of those four numbers hit, but getting 25% of the odds they would get for a single number bet.

Once bets are placed then the croupier spins the wheel. When the wheel is in motion then they will place a small ball inside, spinning it around the top of the wheel counter to the movement of the wheel itself. The ball will spin for sometime and then eventually fall, and the number that it lands on is the number that pays. If, for instance, the winning number is 32 red, then those that bet on 32, Red, Evens, and the Third group of numbers will all win.

Although some of the bets are classed as a 50/50 chance, such as “Black/Red” and “Odd/Even”, the “0” on the board actually makes it less so, and the casino also tweaks the odds, so instead of getting Evens (2.0 in decimal odds) players will actually get around 10/11.

Where to Play Roulette

This game will be found in any self-respecting casino. In fact, you’re almost assured to find roulette in all casinos, as it is a game that the house loves as much as the players, and one that is as common as blackjack and slots. The beauty of roulette is that it is also widely available in online casinos, and you can even find games for your PC, tablet and smartphone that allow you to play games of roulette for fun. These don’t have much longevity due to the fact that no money is involved, but they can be ideal for players seeking to learn the game before they commit to playing it for real money.

At sites like Royal Vegas Casino you can also play the real roulette games for free, without risking any money. Once you have learned the rules and are confident in your ability, then you can simply switch over to real play.

Just remember that this is a game of luck. There is no way to beat the roulette wheel legally, and anyone who suggests otherwise is either lying or using illegal methods, which means they are best avoided. This is a game that favors the house in all instances, as is to be expected, but it is one that can be very fun, just make sure you don’t spend a night at the wheel, as frustration is easy to come by and big wins are not.