What Is Roulette?

Roulette is a game of chance that was invented more than 300 years ago by Frenchman Blaise Pascal. It involves a spinning wheel and a table with different bet types. Outside bets are broader wagers that cover a category of numbers, like red or black. They have a higher chance of winning but a lower payout.

Origin

It’s impossible to say exactly where roulette originated from, mainly because it evolved from a variety of different games. However, some historians believe that it was invented by 17th century French mathematician Blaise Pascal as part of his search for a perpetual motion machine.

He combined his research with a gaming wheel and the Italian game Biribi to create what we know today as roulette. Other theories suggest that the game came from English games such as roly poly and even-odd, or from the ancient French games portique and hoca.

Regardless of where the game was originally created, it would never have become as popular as it is today without the Blanc brothers. They got rid of the double zero pocket in 1842 and introduced the game to the gambling world in Germany.

Variations

There are many variations of roulette games. Some have additional bets and special betting rules, while others offer different payouts. The best type of roulette game for you depends on your level of experience and skill. If you are a beginner, it is best to stick to the classic European roulette game with a single-zero layout and friendly house edge. If you’re an experienced player, you may want to try games that have a higher house edge and offer more bets. Some examples of these include Lightning Roulette from Evolution Gaming and Triple Bonus Spin from IGT. These games have payouts that range from 1:12,000 for straight bonus wins to more than 500x your wager.