Roulette, which means ‘little wheel’ in French, is typically a casino game that is derived from the Italian game Biribi. In the game, you have the option to place bets in various ways: on single numbers, odd or even numbers, a group of numbers, black or red colours, high or low numbers, and more. You may have seen it being played in pop culture films owing to its popularity as a wagering game – it indeed is quite fun and engaging!

History of Roulette

Like most interesting things, it has quite a colourful history. The creation of this game is often accredited to the genius of French mathematician Blaise Pascal in the seventeenth century. He was engaged in the process of inventing a machine in perpetual motion and happened to create a version of the game. However, the origin of the game is quite a debated topic. Many ancient civilizations have been known to have played similar games all across the globe.

• Roman Roots:

The life of a soldier is not an easy one. There are many hardships, losses, and traumatic experiences. Such was also the case in ancient Rome, where keeping the morale of the soldiers high was important to bag wins at wars. Some believe that gambling games involving spinning of chariot wheels or shields gave rise to a version of Roulette.

• Greek Gambles:

Lady Luck played a huge part in the daily lives of ancient Greek citizens. Much like the Roman soldiers, the Greeks had their gambling games to pass the time. There seems to be one particular game that bears a major resemblance to modern-day Roulette, where symbols were drawn inside a shield, and an arrow would be placed beside it. The shield would be spun, and people would place bets on the symbol that the spear or arrow would point at once the spinning stopped.

• Chinese Connection:

A lot of people attribute the origin of Roulette to ancient China where a board game similar to the concept of Roulette was played. It involved thirty-seven animal figurines that had to be arranged into a square, where the numbers would add up to 666. It is said that Dominican monks brought this game to Europe and modified it by changing the layout and added a slot for zero. Be it coincidence or deliberate, the numbers on the present day Roulette wheel come to a total of 666!

After the 17th century, Roulette spread all over Europe and eventually travelled to the US in the 19th century with the European settlers. Off to a rocky start, the casino owners initially were unhappy about the limited house edge and increased it. This led to low earnings for the players who started losing interest in the game. The single-zero European style was rejected, and the American Roulette with double-zeroes became the norm.

Rules Based on the Types of Bets You Can Place

It is always a wise idea to know the types of bets available to you to maximize your chances of winning. This is primarily a game of luck, but keeping these bets in mind may turn the odds in your favour! Chips of different colours are provided to players to avoid confusion. Always remember to redeem your chips at the table!

In Roulette, there are two types of bets (depending on the personal betting strategy of the players), namely: INSIDE BETS and OUTSIDE BETS.

Inside Bets

They are suitable for players taking more risks, provides lower chances of winning with a higher pay-out. Players betting on inside bets usually have a larger bankroll. The different types of inside bets are:

• A Single Bet is made when the chip is put on top of the square of a single number.
• Split Bet is a dual single bet placed on two horizontally or vertically adjacent numbers, in-between the numbers.
• A Street Bet is made when the players place their bets in a horizontal row on three adjoining numbers, while the wager is placed at the end of the line.
• Square Bet is made on a group of four numbers while the wager is at a particular corner where the numbers meet.
• The Five Bet is only used in American Roulette tables based on numbers 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. The wager being at the corner next to 0 and 1.
• Line Bet involves betting on six consecutive numbers forming two horizontal rows. The chip is put at the end of the two rows, between each other.

Outside Bets

These offer players higher chances at winning with lower pay-outs, perfect for players with more conservative strategies. The various outside bets are:

• The Dozen Bet offers a bet on 12 numbers for each spin, provided the number is in the specified dozen.
• Column Bet is a bet such that the number is in the chosen 12 numbers vertical column.
• As the name specifies, Bet on Colour allows players to bet on numbers that are either all red or all black.
• Odd/Even Bet are ones that contain either all even numbers or all odd numbers, provided a 0 or 00 doesn’t turn up, in which case the bet is lost.
• Bet on Low/High is where the wager has to be in the chosen range, either all the low numbers (1 – 18) or all the high numbers (19 – 36).

Wrapping It Up

With the age of technology, the game is making a strong comeback over other casino games. You can sit comfortably at home or enjoy the thrill live at casinos- either way, it’s easily accessible, and you can make use of it!