We could argue over which casino game is the most iconic, but Roulette would definitely be one of the strongest contenders. It was a centrepiece of the historic Monte Carlo Casino when it first opened and is a staple of modern casinos.
With its streamlined gameplay and the unique design of the Roulette wheel – which stands out among a category otherwise full of card and dice games – there’s no doubt that Roulette is a casino classic. If you’re looking to learn more about this game, then read on for five facts everyone should know about Roulette.
- Roulette’s French origins
You might be able to guess that Roulette is a word borrowed from French, with its exact meaning being ‘little wheel’ – inspired by its central game component. It first emerged during the 1700s, finding popularity in the salons of Paris before gradually spreading across the rest of the continent.
French physicist Blaise Pascal is widely credited with the invention of the Roulette wheel, during attempts to create a perpetual motion machine. It didn’t work as intended – since the wheel does come to a stop on its own – but still laid the foundation for one of the most popular table games.
- There are three major variants of Roulette
Most games of Roulette will fall into one of three categories: European, American and French. Each of these feature slight differences that actually have a pretty big impact on the house edge.
European is the most common variant, with 37 pockets that include the single green zero.
American is the next most common, featuring an additional pocket on its design that increases the house edge. The presence of the double zero is the main thing that sets this variety apart, although the layout of numbers on the wheel itself is also different.
French Roulette is the least common of the three, being largely the same as European except for some additional rules relating to the ball landing in the zero pocket.
- 17 is the most popular single number
While there are a lot of numbers to choose from on the Roulette wheel – all of which have the same odds of landing – the number 17 has developed a reputation. In terms of single number wagers, 17 is the most commonly placed, thanks to incidents of famous individuals landing wagers on the number.
- The sum total of a Roulette wheel
One of the strangest coincidences and facts about Roulette is the number that you get when you add up all the wheel’s pockets. The total comes to 666, also known as the ‘number of the beast’, which has caused a few superstitions around the game.
- Even money bets are not truly 50/50
The even money bets – black/red, odd/even and high/low – are often misinterpreted as having a 50% chance of landing. But this isn’t actually the case, as Roulette has another outcome not covered by these wagers.
Roulette wheels aren’t just red and black, but there is also the green pocket (or pockets, if you’re playing American Roulette). As the ball has an equal chance of landing in the zero pocket, this means that there is a slightly lower than 50% probability of landing an even money bet.
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Have you learned something new about the game of Roulette?
