Roulette - How To Play
Roulette dates from the early 19th century, but the game's origins go back to ancient Greece, when soldiers would spin their shields on the points of their swords and bet on where they would stop. In Roman times, it is said that Caesar himself played a form of roulette on a chariot wheel in the palace game room. And then there is Russian roulette, but we won't go into that.
Roulette is French for "little wheel," and what's nice about this game is that you don't have to know a bunch of rules and strategies in order to play. It's strictly a game of chance. There are 38 compartments (or pockets) on the roulette wheel: 36 numbers plus a 0 and 00. The dealer spins a little white ball, and you try to guess in which numbered compartment that little white ball will land.
Roulette attracts a certain type of gambler. It's the one with a whispering hope deep down in his soul that he just might win a lot of money off a very small bet. It's sort of like the lottery, and you have about the same chance of striking it rich in both games. Consequently, only 2% of the people who visit Las Vegas play roulette. But it can be fun, so let's look at all the different bets on the roulette table.
The Outside Bets
Any bet outside the 38 individual numbers is called an "outside" bet. The most popular of these are the six bets on the edge of the layout closest to you. By placing your bet in the square marked "1 to 18," you are betting that the next slot the ball drops into on the wheel will be any number from 1 to 18. By placing your money in the square marked "19 to 36," you are betting any number on the other half of the layout. Both bets pay even money.
If you bet in the "odd" square, you are betting that any odd number will come up on the next spin of the wheel. You can bet that an even number will show by betting in the "even" square. These bets also pay even money. You can also bet in the squares marked "red" and "black." Eighteen of the numbers are red, and 18 are black, so each of these pays even money. By betting in the square marked "1st 12," you are covering the first 12 numbers. Winners are paid 2-1. Pay¬offs are the same for the squares marked "2nd 12" and
"3rd 12." You may also make what is called a "column" bet. Now you are betting any number in a column of 12 numbers, and again the payoff is 2-1. On any outside bet, your winnings are placed next to the original wager.
The Inside Bets
Any bet on the individual numbers is called an "inside" bet. There are several different ways you can bet on these numbers. You can bet on one number, which is called a "straight" bet. If that number comes up on the next spin, you get paid 35-1. By the way, the most popular number on the wheel is 17. Why? It's right in the centerof the table for one thing, and it's the number that James Bond always bets in the movies. Well, he never loses, does he? Click for roulette strategy.
