Roullete is a casino game of chance that originated in France in the late 1700s and quickly spread to land-based casinos worldwide. Nowadays, you can’t find a casino without at least one roulette table. The game is played by placing bets on different numbers or groups of numbers, the color red or black, and whether a number is odd or even.
The Roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk, slightly convex in shape and with a metal rail around its rim. There are thirty-six compartments, called canoes by roulette croupiers, painted alternately in red and black and numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. A ‘zero’ is located in a separate compartment marked with green and two other ‘green’ compartments are found on American wheels.
In the past, players strove to create betting systems that would allow them to gain an edge over the house. However, it was ultimately discovered that no betting system can overcome the statistical advantage that the house enjoys over the player. Despite this, many gamblers try to circumvent the house edge through cheating or illegal methods.
There are several variations of roulette, but the most popular is European Roulette which can be played both at physical casinos and online. The primary difference between this and the American version is that European Roulette has a single zero pocket which lowers the house edge to a more coveted 2.7%.
Another variation of the game is French Roulette, which features a unique rule known as la partage and en prison. Translated to English, this means that if the ball lands in a ‘zero’ pocket, the player will be given half their bet back on even money bets. However, if the bet is lost, the player’s stake remains on the table (or in prison) for their next bet instead of being returned to them.
Roulette has long been the most popular casino game in Europe and has become a global phenomenon thanks to its popularity with both recreational and professional gamblers alike. The game is played at thousands of casinos in over 80 countries and is available to play both online and offline.