The Basics of Roulette

Roulette is a game of pure chance. Players place their chips on a betting table until the croupier (dealer) announces “No more bets.” You can choose to bet on either red or black, odd or even.

Outside bets offer higher payout rates, but the house edge is still 2.70%. The European wheel has only one zero, though, which slightly lowers the odds.

Origin

The exact origin of roulette is unclear, but it likely stems from a combination of several different games. One popular theory suggests that it was created by Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, in the 17th century while he experimented with a perpetual motion machine. Other theories suggest that it evolved from a variety of other games, including portique, hoca, bassette, and roly poly. Some even claim that it came from the Italian game biribi, which has been around since 1720 and is very similar to roulette.

Whichever game it derived from, it eventually made its way to France, where the modern roulette wheel was first used in gambling houses in 1796. From there, it spread to other casinos throughout Europe and eventually to America.

Variations

There are a number of roulette variants that offer players different options. Some of these variations change the rules, while others expand betting options with novel features. For example, Key Bet Roulette from IGT uses the traditional layout but expands on winning potential with additional bets. These additional bets can multiply prizes up to 100x, which is a nice twist to the game. Other variations include Lighting Roulette from Evolution Gaming, which relies on multipliers for payouts, and Triple Bonus Spin Roulette from IGT that pays out up to 1:12,000 on a straight bonus win.

Bets

The odds of winning at roullete are determined by the probability of a number or color appearing on the wheel and payout ratios for each bet type. A Straight Up bet places chips on a single number on the table layout and pays 35 times the initial wager if it wins. A Split Bet, known as a cheval in French, places your chip(s) to straddle the line between two numbers on the layout. This bet pays 17-1 if either of the numbers win.

Payouts

Payouts at roullete can vary greatly depending on what type of bet you place. For example, a Voisins bet costs 9 chips and covers 17 numbers, including streets and splits. As a result, its payouts can range from PS18 to PS24. A Street Bet/Three Number Bet/Side Bet/The Trio: This bet covers a row of three consecutive numbers on the roulette table and has a payout of 11-1. A Line Bet/Six Number Bet/Sixline Bet: This bet covers two rows of six consecutive numbers and has a payout of 5:1.

Outside bets are safer for new players because they cover groups of numbers rather than specific ones. They also have a lower payout if they win.