Fascinating Facts about Roulette

Roulette Originated in France

It was the seventeenth-century French physicist, Blaise Pascal who was responsible for the invention of the roulette wheel. He was actually attempting to create a perpetual motion machine, a wheel that could rotate forever. Though he was unsuccessful in his initial aim, he did discover the roulette wheel on his way. The first roulette game had 38 numbers on a wheel running from 1 to 36, with a single 0 and a double 00. In those days, the 0 pocket was coloured red, with the double zero being black. The colour changed in the early 1800s with green taking the zero number pockets and the numbers 1 to 36 being coloured alternatively red and black.

Roulette Numbers Add Up to 666

The game of roulette enjoys a number of nicknames. Probably the most famous of these is the “devil's game.” This comes about because, if you were to add all the numbers on a roulette wheel together, the total would come to 666. Those of you who have studied the bible or are fans of horror movies, will know that this is the mark of the beast or the devil. Another reason why roulette is referred to as the devil's game is simply that it's based on luck. Players who have the misfortune of continuously losing money state that the game itself must have been created by the devil.

Roulette Has a Number of Variants

Most people think there is just a single variant. After all, it’s the same game in movie after movie. However, like many casino games, roulette has a number of varieties that are based on differing house advantages and pay rates. Below we've listed some of the main variants you'll find in both online and land-based casinos:

• European roulette
• American roulette
• French roulette
• Lightning roulette
• Mini roulette

Without a doubt, the most popular variant of roulette you'll find around the world is the European version. This game features a single 0 slot on the wheel giving it a house edge of 2.7%. This is in contrast to the American roulette wheel, which has both a single and a double zero. As you can imagine it has a much bigger house edge of 5.2%.

A Roulette Dealer is Called a Croupier

Whereas many casino games are overseen by a dealer, roulette has a unique name for this person. They're called a croupier and their job is to oversee the whole game, including spinning the roulette wheel and taking the bets from the players. Of course, they're not dealing physically cards, but they are spinning the wheel and the ball. They are also very approachable, and if you ask, they will guide you about the types of bets you might want to make, as well as how to collect your winnings.

You Can Play Roulette Online

Virtually all variants of roulette are available to be played over the internet. You’ll find many video versions of the game. Yet an increasingly popular genre is live dealer roulette. With this, you’re playing one-to-one with a real croupier who is situated at a real roulette wheel and is streamed to your mobile device in HD. In this manner, the internet experience is almost on par with that of a real casino. If you want to see how this works, feel free to head over to the live dealer lobby at Queenplay Casino where you will find a huge number of roulette variations and attentive croupiers waiting for you.

The Ball and Wheel Spin in Opposite Directions

Many people are unaware that the croupier spins the wheel in one direction and the ball in the opposite. Also, it's not necessary for the croupier to spin the wheel in the same direction all the time. Many casinos require them to change the rotation of the wheel after every round.

A Man Once Bet Everything on Roulette

Betting everything on a single spin of the roulette wheel is either very foolish or brave depending on your outlook. Imagine risking all the money you have, after having sold all your worldly possessions, at the roulette wheel. Let us introduce you to Ashley Revell. The young Englishman, after having a discussion about games of chance in the pub with his mates, decided to put a crazy idea into practice. He sold everything he had to his name and managed to raise $135,000. He then travelled to the Plaza Casino Las Vegas. Surrounded by family and friends, he put everything on red. We can only imagine the level of anticipation must have been off the scale whilst waiting for the ball to fall all into the pocket. Lady Luck must have been smiling down on him that day because he won and doubled his money. The red/black and odd/even bet is probably one of the safest bets you can make in a casino. Now if Ashley had wagered on a single straight number from 1 to 36, then the casino would have had to pay out 35 to 1 on his bet. This means that he would have won $4,725,000.

The Most Wagered Number is 17

When you play roulette, you’re faced with a table that shows all the numbers on the wheel. In addition, you can see all the bet types as well as the payouts. What's interesting here is that the number 17 is by far the most conspicuous on this table. As a result of this, many gamblers, especially beginners, bet on this. Yet if you think it through, there is a 1 in 37 (European) or one in 38 (American) chance of any number, including the 17 winning. We assume that is due to the fact that the 17 stands out, therefore people subconsciously favour it.

Follow Roulette Etiquette

All land-based casinos will have strict etiquette when it comes to behaviour at the roulette table. For example, you're not allowed to take food or drinks near the roulette wheel. It's considered rude to throw your chips down. Also, you can't buy or cash in your chips between games. Furthermore, it is considered bad manners to try to hand your money to the croupier. It's definitely against the rules to place a bet after the croupier has called “no more bets.” Casino security dictates that you can't take your bag or purse close to the table.

Even Money Bets have the Best Odds

By far the best chance of winning in roulette it's by sticking to even money bets. These include:

• Red/black
• Odd/even
• High/Low

With the American wheel, an even money bet enjoys odds of 47.4%. On the more common European roulette wheel, the odds stand at 48.6%. Many people assume that a 50/50 bet, such as red or black, should give odds of 50%. However, this fails to take into consideration the 0 and double 0 pockets, which give the casino a small but meaningful advantage over the gambler.