Roulette is a casino game that involves spinning a ball around a wheel. The wheel has a series of compartments that are painted red and black. There is also a green division numbered 0.
Players can place bets on individual numbers, various groups of numbers, and whether the number is high (1-18) or low (0-36). The dealer will then give players coloured chips that represent the value of their bet.
Origin
The exact origin of roulette is unknown. There are many theories, but the game we know today emerged in 17th-century France. It is believed to have evolved from earlier games like Roly Poly, Even-Odd, and Biribi.
The earliest known written reference to the game was in a gambling regulations document published in New France (now Quebec, Canada) in 1758. The game was listed on the list of prohibited games.
It is also widely accepted that the game of roulette was invented in 1655 by French mathematician Blaise Pascal as part of his attempt to create a perpetual motion machine. However, the wheel used for roulette was not the same as that which is used in modern European/Latin American casinos. This wheel had numbered slots from 1-36, with black and red backgrounds.
Variations
There are a number of different roulette game variations available, each with their own unique rules and special betting options. Some are more popular than others, and the reason for this often has to do with the house edge and the odds of winning. For instance, if you’re playing for fun, it’s probably best to go with the European version of the game that features 38 pockets and a single zero, since this variant has a friendlier house edge.
