The Basics of Roulette
Roulette is classic casino game named after the French word, meaning “small wheel.” In roulette, players have several options on what they would like to bet on, a number, a range of numbers, the colour red or black, and whether the number is odd or even.
The game is simple; the board is simple and easy to follow. The pockets on the roulette wheel are randomly numbered from 1 to 37 (in European Roulette) and 38 (in American Roulette), alternating between red and black. There is a green 0, and in American roulette, there is a green 00. A croupier – casino dealer who takes and pays out bets, and assists with the running of a casino game – spins the wheel in one direction, then spins a ball in the opposite direction. Eventually, the ball looses momentum and lands on any one of the coloured and numbered pockets on the wheel.
The game is rich in history, dating back to 18th century France, where the game is believed to be a fusion of several games, Roly-Poly, Ace of Hearts, and E.O., as well as the Italian board games Hoca and Biribi, and “Roulette”, an already existing French board game by the same name.
Roulette made its way to the United States during the 1800’s and quickly became one of the most popular and recognizable casinos games around. Roulette gained its popularity and fame in Monte Carlo, the last remaining legal gambling operation in Europe during the 1800’s. It was there that roulette gained the name “King of Casino Games”, due to its association with the glamour and fame of the casinos in Monte Carlo.