Roulette is an extremely popular casino game that’s been around for thousands of years. The word roulette comes from the French term meaning “small wheel”.
The origination of the game is unclear. Some say Roman soldiers invented it to pass the time, while others say that Monks discovered the game in China somewhere during the middle ages. While the exact origination is not known, its popularity began in the 18th century in Europe.
Popular mainly in France and other areas of Europe, the game gained fans throughout the late 18th century, and all throughout the 19th century. The game continued to grow in popularity until today, when it’s one of the most popular casino games in most areas.
Roulette has a few different variations, and 2 different wheels.
The European roulette wheel has 37 spaces numbered 0-36. All the numbers alternate between red and black, while the zero slot is green.
The game itself is extremely simple. Bets are placed, and then the dealer spins the wheel, and throws a small ivory ball into the wheel, going the opposite direction. As momentum slows, the wheel turns slower and slower, forcing the ball towards the center of the wheel.
When the wheel is almost completely stopped, the ball falls into a slot, and bets are paid out.
Roulette is unique in that there are tons of different kinds of bets.
Roulette is today the best recognized icon symbolizing the glamour, fun and prestige of high class casino gaming.
Winning bets are paid following the below table (European Roulette):
Straight Up – a bet placed on a single number (0, 2, 12, 14, 33, etc.). A winning straight-up bet would pay out at 35 to 1.
Split – a bet placed on the line between 2 numbers (ie. 2 & 3, 13 & 16). Winning split bets pay out at 17 to 1.
Row – a bet placed on vertical lines in horizontal rows of 3 numbers (7, 8, 9). A winning row bet pays out 11 to 1.
Triple – a bet on the intersections of (0, 1, 2) or (2, 3, 0). A winning triple bet pays out at 11 to 1.
Corner – a bet on a group of 4 numbers (ex. 19, 20, 22, 23). A winning corner bet pays out at 8 to 1.
Top Line – a bet on the first 4 numbers at the upper end of a grid (0, 1, 2, 3). A winning top line bet pays out at 8 to 1.
Line – a bet on a group of 6 adjacent numbers that all border the same grid (ex. 28, 29, 30, and 31, 32, 33). A winning line bet pays out at 5 to 1.
Columns – bets on a vertical column of numbers (ex. 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36). Zero isn’t part of any column and winning bets are paid 2 to 1.
Dozens – bets on first, second or third dozen numbers (1-12, 13-24 and 25-36, respectively). Zero is excluded and odds are paid 2 to 1.
Red/Black – a bet on whether the winning number is red or black. Odds are paid at 1 to 1.
Odd/Even – a bet on whether the winning number is odd or even (0 excluded). Odds are paid at 1 to 1.
High/Low – a bet on whether the winning number is in the low half (1-18) or the high half (19-36). Odds are paid at 1 to 1.
The En Prison rule states that if a player places an even-money outside bet, and the ball lands on zero, the player can either keep half their lost money or go “all or nothing” on an additional spin.
This rule applies only to even-money (meaning 1:1) outside bets. Players can choose to place their whole bet “En Prison” and wait the outcome of the next non zero result, or they can surrender half the bet immediately, or make new bets.
When the spin will have a number different from 0 as a result, the “En Prison” bet will be resolved.
You can learn more of this game by reading all the articles in the Roulette section.
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