The Basics of Roulete

A simple game of pure chance, roulette requires no specialized skills to play. Bets are placed on spaces on a table layout until the croupier says no more bets.

On a European-style wheel, there is a single green zero that lowers the house edge to 1.35%. Special rules like la partage and en prison also reduce the house advantage on even-money propositions.

Origin

rou*let*e (rool-LET) A game of chance or skill played on a table divided into sections for various bets, having in the center a revolving roulette wheel into which a small ball, after being spun, comes to rest within one of the compartments. The game has an esthetic appeal and is played by players of all ages. Supposedly, the game originated in China and was later spread to Europe by Dominican monks. Other fanciful theories claim that the game was invented by 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal or by a French monk.

The modern version of roulette was introduced in Paris in 1796, and it has been a favorite in casinos ever since. Its appearance was similar to today’s version, with a numbered roulette wheel and bets on red and black backgrounds.

Bets

There are a variety of different bets available on roullete. These include Voisins du Zero (neighbours of the zero, covering 17 numbers), Jeu Zero (for the seven numbers closest to the zero), and le tiers du cylindre (thirds of the wheel). There are also special bets such as splits and streets. These bets cover more numbers but offer lower payouts than other bets. They are known as Outside Bets. The street bet is also called a cheval in French, and the three number bet is called transversal in French.