Wheel Of Fortune - Roulette

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.