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Wheel
Of Fortune
 Roulette's
whirling wheel of fortune has mesmerised
generations of casino players, and for years has
epitomised the glamour, excitement and occasional
misery of the casino better than any other
game.
We
take a look at the strategies, statistics and
History
behind the greatest Casino
Game
in the world.
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!
Roulette
And Casinos
That
roulette game has become synonymous with casinos is
no surprise, as roulette has existed more or less
the same since the 17th century and has now
continued to extend its popularity through the
success of Online
Roulette.
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
Roulette 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:
European,
French and
American.
In
European 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.
European
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
European Online Roulette.
Basic
Roulette 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 etc.) 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.
 Roulette
Betting 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 Land-Based
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' or 'Roulette
Theory'
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
Online Roulette for what it is a glamorous
and adrenaline filled way to spend some money and,
if you're very lucky, maybe even make a good profit
on roulette's magical wheel of fortune.
Play
Online Roulette Now
Click
your currency/language flag from the list in the
right-hand column to play online roulette. You will
be greeted as a new player with a free money
'welcome bonus'.
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