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Casino Times
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Articles
29 July 2006
Wheel Of Fortune
Roulette's whirling
wheel has mesmerised generations of gamblers, and for years
has epitomised the glamour, excitement and occasional misery
of the casino better than any other game. We examine the
strategies, statistics and history behind it.
Whether portraying a dodgy
local villain or James Bond outplaying the bad guy, whenever
the director wants to show a casino there is one essential
central prop - a roulette table. Add some cigar smoke, a few
floozies and a sweaty fat man wearing a tight dress shirt.
Drop the lighting or add chandeliers to reflect the classy
nature of the establishment and hey presto! We're
gambling!
That the game has become
synonymous with casinos is no surprise, as roulette has
existed more or less the same since the 17th
century.
The original idea for a
gambling wheel is attributed to a number of people from a
mad Benedictine monk to the Chinese, but most sources point
to a French scientist Blaise Pascal. Even his contribution
is clouded in a degree of mystery as some say that he was
trying to build a perpetual motion machine. If so, he
failed, but he did end up with a perpetual money
machine.
The simple version was
called 'boule.' It is still around today in France, where it
is known as 'the little game'. Roulette was brought to
prominence by the brothers Francois and Louis Blanc in the
mid 19th century. The enterprising pair removed the double
zero from the wheel, thereby improving players' odds. And
with greater chances of winning roulette became increasingly
popular - particularly in Monaco, thanks to the patronage of
Prince of Monaco Charles the Third.
Fortunes were lost and won
at the spin of a wheel and the game's reputation was sealed.
Eventually, roulette found it's way to the United States in
virtually the same format, but with the 'double zero'
reinstated.
As you are playing against
the house rather than other players, roulette can be a very
social game - and occasionally highly animated. And whereas
most casino games require a degree of concentration,
roulette is so simple that a more leisurely approach can be
taken.
The
Wheel
Roulette has international
and enduring appeal, which is testament to it's simple
premise: aside from technological improvements, the game
with the white ball whizzing around a 560mm diameter wheel
has remained unchanged since it's invention. Well,
almost!
Essentially there are
three versions of roulette: English (European), French and
American.
In English roulette the
wheel has 37 slots, comprising of numbers 1-36 and zero.
American roulette has 38 slots, an extra slot, for the
additional zero. French roulette is slightly different as
although there are two zeros the layout is slightly
different and no less than four dealers are
required.
English roulette was a
direct development of the labour intensive French version,
adapted to speed up by having only one dealer.For the
purposes of this article we will be considering English
roulette.
Basic
Play
A minimum of one player is
required, with a maximum of eight being accepted at each
table. Every player is allocated one colour of chips (to
avoid bets being confused). When you cash up at the end of
your game, you exchange the coloured chips for real value
ones.
To play, you place your
chips on the numbers and set betting positions (red, black,
odds etc0 on the table layout.
The casino sets a minimum
and maximum bet for each table and each type of bet. When
sufficient time has elapsed for betting, the dealer spins
the wheel and launches the ball in the opposite direction.
Just before the ball is about to drop, the dealer says 'no
more bets' and bets can no longer be placed or
altered.
Once the dealer has placed
a dolly on the winning number on the layout, and cleared all
losing bets y0ou can start placing new bets, while the
winners are being paid.
There are nine standard
types of roulette bets: Six 'inside' bets and three
'outside' bets.
All individual outside
bets must be at least the table minimum, while the total of
the inside bets must exceed the minimum. This catches out a
lot of first time players - so it's often best to watch a
spin or two to save making a fool of
yourself.
Limits
The house sets different
minimum and maximum amounts for different tables, so don't
srift from one to another without checking this out
first.
Other nuances you should
know about include late betting and misplaced chips. If you
bet after the point the dealer has said he is no longer
taking bets, your bet will be void.
In a live casino, during
betting, the dealer will try his, or her, best to tidy up
various piles of chips into some form of order so if you
want a split bet, make sure you place it on the line and
that it stays there. Wit so many chips on the table, it is
inevitable some will be knocked and end up moving to numbers
they were never intended for.
Misplaced bets tend to be
the biggest source of disputes, but by playing online you
don't need to worry about that.
Diabolique
Roulette is sometimes
called the game of the devil as the numbers total 666, and
it undeniably has a hold on some people. Otherwise sensible
gamblers become convinced they have a 'system' that will let
them skilfully outdo a game that involves no skill and which
cannot be beaten.
Type 'roulette strategy'
into any internet search engine and you will be presented by
a range of winning roulette schemes. Do yourself a favour
and don't bother - it's easier, and cheaper, to face the
harsh reality that roulette is a game of chance. It should
be enjoyed purely for entertainment and a strategy offers
you no more chance of winning than picking numbers at
random.
Enjoy roulette for what it
is a glamorous and adrenaline filled way to spend a few
pounds and, if you're very lucky, maybe even make a
few.
Play Roulette
Online
One of the best
Online
Casinos to play
roulette is Spin
Palace Casino. As
an added attraction, they offer a free money welcome bonus
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Also see:
American
vs European Roulette. What's Your Best
Bet?
Online casino players often have a choice of American and
European roulette when they play in internet casinos or UK
casinos. What are the differences between the games and does
the online version offer a better chance of winning than the
offline version?
The
Man Who Broke The Bank At Monte
Carlo
A scientific approach to cracking a casino's roulette wheels
brought immortality to a Yorkshire engineer.
Online
Roulette - A Beginners'
Guide
Excitement, glamour, high-stakes tension - nothing better
symbolises gambling in online casinos and offline than the
spinning blur of the roulette wheel. Learn the odds with our
guide for online gambling novices.
The
History Of Roulette
No one will ever know who invented roulette - Roman
soldiers, monks returning from Tibet and a French
mathematician have all been credited with it. Find out more
about the mysterious history of the "King of Casino Games"
that is such a favourite of today's of online casino
fans.
Online
Casinos
Reviews of the leading, approved online casinos. Includes
details of the free money welcome bonuses offered to new
players by the online casinos.
UK
Online Casinos
Reviews of the leading, approved UK online casinos. Includes
details of the free money welcome bonuses offered to new
players by the online casinos.
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