Roulette is a simple game based entirely on chance. Players place chips on a betting mat until the croupier (dealer) announces “no more bets.” Then the ball is dropped into a spinning wheel with numbered pockets.
The absence of a double zero pocket in European roulette lowers the house edge and makes the game more favorable for players. However, strategic betting and disciplined bankroll management are still important.
Origin
The origins of roullete are murky and subject to various fanciful theories. Some believe that 17th-century French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal invented the roulette wheel in his pursuit of a perpetual motion machine; others believe it was introduced in France by Dominican monks who brought the game to Europe from China, where it was played using animal figurines arranged in a square with numbers that total 666. While these theories are not based on any evidence, it is generally accepted that the modern version of roullete was developed in France from older games such as hoca and portique. It became a centrepiece of the 18th-century gambling scene in Paris.
Bets
The game offers a number of betting opportunities, ranging from split bets (also known as cheval in French) to straight bets. With the split bet, you can place your chip(s) to straddle the line between two numbers on the layout and if either one of them wins, you will receive 17-1 payout. On the other hand, street bets, also referred to as the trio in French, are wagers that cover an entire row of three consecutive numbers and pay 11-1.