What is Roulette?

Roulette is a casino game played on a revolving wheel with numbered pockets. The player bets on which pocket the ball will land in, and if successful, the winning amount will be paid out to the player. There are different types of bets, which pay differently. There are also several types of bets on groups of numbers.

Origin

There are many fanciful stories about the origin of roulette. Some claim it was invented by the 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal as part of his attempt to create a perpetual motion machine. Others say it was based on the English games Roly Poly and Ace of Hearts and the Italian game Biribi or Hoca. In reality, it probably derived from older games in the mid-1700s and achieved its modern form about 1790.

There are also some references to the game in Roman documents and among Greek soldiers who enjoyed playing gambling games. It is not known whether these games had a direct influence on roulette, though.

Bets

Roulette is a game of chances, and there are many betting opportunities available on the table. Players can bet on inside or outside bets. Inside bets include voisins du zero (neighbors of the zero), jezero (seven numbers that are closest to the zero on the wheel) and le tiers du cylindre (the 12 numbers that are opposite to the Voisins du Zero on the roulette wheel). Outside bets are Dozens, Columns and Street. All these bets pay out 2-1 if the player makes a correct prediction.