Roulette 101
Roulette is a popular casino game in which players chose to place their bets on a number, if the color will be black or red, or if the number will be odd or even. The winning number and colors are determined by spinning a wheel in one direction and having a croupier drop a ball in the opposite direction. The winning number and color are determined when the ball drops into the wheel and into one of the spaces. The dealer will then place a marker on the winning number / color. At this time he or she will then distribute all the payouts and rake in all the losses. After this period is over, the dealer will remove the marker and a new betting round is open.
The game was invented in France during the 18th century. The wheel is believed to be a combination of English wheel games Ace of Hearts, Roly-Poly and E.O. as well as the Italian board games Biribi and Hoca.
Roulette became very popular during the 1800s, spreading across the United States and Europe. In the United States, the French double zero wheels came to Mississippi from New Orleans. Cheating was widespread and because of this the casino placed the wheel on top of a table and made the betting layout a lot simpler. This style of play evolved into the American style.
The European style of roulette is very similar to the American style with the main difference being that the European table one has one zero space while the American table has two. This is very important in determining the house edge. The American table with two zero spaces give the house and edge of 5.6%. The European table with only one zero gives the house an edge of only 2.7%. Some European tables also have a rule called en prison. This rule states that if the ball lands on zero, you dont lose your money.
Your money is instead carried on to the next betting round and if you win there you can take your money back. The en prison rule isnt available at every European table, but if you can find it you should take advantage of it. The house edge on a European table with the en prison rule is only 1.27%! Despite the obvious advantage one gets when playing at a European table layout, the American style layout is the most popular roulette layout in the world and is the most prevalent game in many casinos today. You can find the American wheel system in the United States, Caribbean, and South America; the European wheel is popular nearly everywhere else.