Choosing the Right Roulette Variation

When playing roulette, it is important to understand the odds and bet types. Inside bets have higher house edges but offer better payouts than outside bets.

Players place their chips on a green felt table with numbered areas and color groups, in front of a spinning wheel and ball track. Bets can be placed until the dealer announces, “No more bets!”

Origin

The exact origin of roulette isn’t entirely clear, but it’s believed to have evolved from other gambling games like hoca, portique, bassette, and roly poly. These games were popular in the 1700s and had similar features to the modern game, such as a numbered wheel and rules for placing bets on even-odd or high/low.

Historians believe that 17th century French mathematician Blaise Pascal stumbled upon the idea for the game in his search for a perpetual motion machine. He invented the wheel and arranged a series of numbers from 0 to 36 on it.

The game then made its way across the world and into America as more Europeans moved to the country. By the 1940s, it was a staple in many casinos and gambling houses.

Variations

Roulette has many variations, and each offers a different feel and experience. Some games have special betting rules and bets, while others follow the European format with a friendly house edge. Choosing the right game for you depends on your skill level and experience. If you’re a beginner, it may be best to choose a game that follows the European format and avoids special bets. More experienced players may find more enjoyment in roulette variants that offer additional bets, such as Orphelins and Tiers du Cylindre. These types of bets add an element of strategy to the gameplay. Another variation is En Prison, which allows players that make even predictions to recover half their coins if the ball lands in the single-zero pocket.