Roullete is a popular casino game in which the player places bets on what number or group of numbers the ball will land in when the dealer spins the wheel. The game is easy enough for beginners to learn, but offers a surprising depth of strategy for those who are serious about winning. Read on to find out more about this classic game, including how to play it, different strategies and the odds of winning.
The earliest mention of the roulette wheel dates back to the 17th century, when it was described by French mathematician Blaise Pascal as part of his attempt to design a machine that could generate perpetual motion. The modern version of the game was invented a century later, in France, where it has become a staple at gambling houses and casinos around the world.
There are a variety of theories as to the origin of this popular casino game, including that it was created by Blaise Pascal as part of his efforts to create a perpetual motion machine; or that it was invented by Dominican monks who brought it to France from China; or even that it was derived from earlier games such as hoca and portique. Regardless of its actual origin, it quickly became the dominant casino game in Europe and America.
A roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk, slightly convex in shape and with thirty-six compartments painted alternately red and black. On European-style wheels a 38th compartment, painted green, carries the sign 0; on American wheels two green compartments on opposite sides carry the signs 0 and 00. The wheel, mounted on a spindle and suspended from the ceiling, spins smoothly in an almost frictionless manner.
Players bet on what section of the wheel the ball will fall into by placing chips on a special betting table called a ‘felt’, with specific terminology used to identify each bet type (for example, “red” and “black”). The dealer then spins the wheel, the ball spinning and jumping until it lands in one of the slots. If the player has bet on a particular number or a grouping of numbers, the player wins.
The balls in professional roulette are no longer made of ivory, but a synthetic material that resembles the look and feel of ivory. The size, weight and material of the ball have a significant effect on the game; for instance, a small, lightweight ceramic ball makes more revolutions on the wheel and jumps more unpredictably before it settles on a number than a large, heavy ivorine ball.