While you might think that the extremely popular game of roulette can be found in any casino establishments, offline or online, you’d be surprised to know that this casino game is still being outlawed in California. Yes, you read that right: roulette, as we know it, is prohibited to be played in this American State.
As stipulated under the California gambling law, any games in which the outcome is being decided by dice or balls are to be banned. Now, we can discuss the rationale behind this gambling regulation in its full extent but it’ll probably just bore you to death. However, the main point of the argument circles around the clear distinction between games of chance and games of skill.
Somehow, Californian legislators think that roulette, being a game that involves a spinning wheel, can be considered entirely as a game of chance. Card games like baccarat, are being looked upon as a game of skill, on the other hand.
Needless to say, you can’t stop lovers of roulette from getting their dose of some spinning wheel action which is why in 2004, something good came up for the game. In that year, California formally legalized what is called California Roulette.
The game basically carries resemblance to the Vegas style, but the wheel has a different story. Instead of a ball-bearing wheel, California Roulette is played using a deck of 38 numbered cards.
The cards pretty much substitute the numbered pockets of a traditional American roulette wheel. But the thing is, each cards used in California Roulette has a color and suit similar to a deck of playing cards we fondly know of.
So how does the game work?
The California Roulette betting rules works in such a way a European or American roulette game does wherein the player bet on a color or number. Additionally, they can place wagers on the suit of cards.
The cards used in California Roulette are placed in an automatic shuffler. The dealer draws a card from that deck and this will determine the winning bet/s.
How to play the game?
Playing California Roulette is as easy as the classic roulette. In this game, there will be at most 8 players going up against the house. As per the usual, any correct prediction of the outcome will be paid with a corresponding payout.
To make the game more interesting, developers include two well-loved French roulette rules: the En Prison and the La Partage.
La Partage gives the players the chance to take back half of their losing even money bets. En Prison, meanwhile, holds “in prison” a losing even money bet for the next round. If the player’s bet wins, he gets his money back in full. If not, the casino forfeits the losing bet.
We still have to find online casinos offering the game of California Roulette. For sure, there are game developers keen enough to make one. Given its popularity, at least among players in California, it’s safe to bet that an online version of California Roulette will make its way to the Internet in no time.
As for our thoughts of the game, we think that variety is an ingredient which can make this life quite more interesting to live. And so, we do give our thumbs up to anyone who wish to spice up their roulette gaming experience.
May you have all the luck and enjoyment in playing California Roulette.