Thursday, November 10, 2011

Roulette - An Overview

By Gregory Brooks


The gambling game of roulette, or "little wheel", as it is called at times, is said to have a long history, possibly originating in France, in the seventeenth century. The game of roulette is nowadays a very popular gambling game, but who created it, remains a mystery. Some attribute its invention to the famous mathematician/scientist of that time, Blaise Pascal, and others would like to believe that all this was the work of a monk. The arguments on the issue of a scientist taking off time to develop a casino game, or the profanity of a pious man engaging in this kind of development, have long gone on. However, there is a new twist to this story, with one school of thought believing the Chinese to be the true createors, who later sold the game of roulette to Dominican monks. Anyway, due to its French origin, its popularity has gone up in many casinos in Paris.

Roulette is a wheel based gambling game with the original layout still being widely used. There are 2 betting areas on the table, the inside having digits and outside hosting colored boxes for color wagering. The boxes are always red and black. Coming to the roulette wheel contents, there are two types in use today. The European version has 37 slots, while the American one has 38. This includes the double zero that was brought in by two Frenchmen in 1842, in order to give the American version better odds. The American version has an additional double zero "00," which increases the casino edge to 5.26, while the European roulette wheel has an edge of 2.63. Later, the "00" was changed for the American eagle indicating the casinos' patriotism. That roulette is a casino game of sheer chance, is a matter of discussion. Though, most agree it is a game of chance.

The strange thing about the game of roulette is that none except the official dealer of the game of roulette is allowed to handle the wheel, while all the players can only remain viewers and this itself is an indication that the game is one of sheer chance only. In the game of roulette, the black digits are arranged to the left and the red numbers, to the right. The zeros take center field. Just looking at this case would be sufficient for any player of repute to understand if the outcome of the game of roulette hinges on chance or effort.

On the face of it, roulette is all fun and enjoyment, because it is all about betting on a number and hoping the ball will land in the selected number. The game of roulette is really not as simple as it is made out to be. Betting on a number and waiting for it seems a hard task. However, here in roulette, you have the chance to choose other options like betting on a color like red or black and also trying your luck at odd and even numbers. Though these variations appear attractive, the participant must know beforehand about them before risking his hand at higher wagers. A point to be noted here is that the players have absolutely no role to play in roulette, which is handled by a dealer. The different variants of roulette attract more and more to try the game of roulette.

The advent of the Internet and the appearance of the online variation of roulette have lifted the popularity of roulette to new dimensions. In view of the lower casino edge because of the single 0 in the 37 slot wheel, the European variation has found greater acceptance with players from all over the world, who hasten to take advantage of the edge. The American version, with a house edge that is almost double that of the European version, does not seem to have many followers.

With various prominent stars and even royalty showing their preference for roulette it is now called the "King of Casino" in Europe. To be seen among such pomp and splendor and rubbing shoulders with the elite and the nobility is very impressive. Though, roulette is a game of sheer chance, many flock to the roulette tables, and are seemingly captivated by roulette. The introduction of the online variation has added zest to the game, and it looks as if the game is in for a long and successful in Innings at the casinos.




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