Roulette ball, or as coined by roulette players, the “pill” is mostly molded out of acetal, nylon, or phenolic materials. In the past, manufacturers would use ivory. The variance of materials being used to make roulette balls may have something to do with its “liveliness,” or the way it bounces from pocket to pocket.
The issue of material being used to make the balls shouldn’t be of a great concern for a player, especially for a novice roulette player. However, it is worth noting that its component does have a direct effect to a specific roulette game. Basically, the livelier a roulette ball is, which means it bounces more erratically, the harder it is for the player to project which pocket it will settle.
A very bouncy ball often repels visual trackers. These are players who, by use of devices or techniques, can project as to where the ball will land. They either work alone or with an accomplice. Casino establishments would often use these kinds of balls to deter such attempts.
On the other hand, a lively ball brings out what is called a truly unbiased result. This is because the pill will have to pass through multiple pockets before it settles into one.
Despite its advantages, having a too lively roulette ball does have its drawbacks. For one, if the ball is too bouncy, there’s a possibility for it to jump overboard and out of the roulette wheel. It can go on the table or worse, down to the floor. The situation, although it looks normal, can halter the game progression and may affect the mood of impatient players. This spells badly for the casino.
Yet another undesirable scenario is for the lively ball to get caught by a loose fret. Frets are the divisions between the numbers found on the wheel. Having defective frets are unavoidable. Which is why, casinos often replace roulette wheels as often as possible. If such defects aren’t noticed, then this can be an opportunity to be exploited by some players.
Breaking the Streak of Luck
Casinos sometimes implement “necessary” measures to ensure that their tables don’t get cleaned up. Should they notice that a particular player has been consistently winning in consecutive turns, they might switch up the ball being used. Like changing dice in craps or using a new deck of cards in blackjack, switching the ball in a roulette ball is said to break the player’s streak of luck.
If one has to look closer, the size of the ball affects the way it bounces and thus, a projection system set by a player will be compromised.
In the past, players were able to manage to switch the balls themselves, but this time, for their own advantage. These balls usually have iron or steel cores which makes it a perfect pair for their electromagnetic devises. Such schemes were used by fraudsters who like to take control as to where the ball will land. To prevent such scenarios, casinos implement ball switching as often as possible.
Spin Duration
In most land-based casinos, dealers often do 20-25 spins (called long spins) to prolong the betting activity. This is the time when players put their bets on the roulette betting layout. However, this situation seems perfect for visual trackers and players who use computer projection programs.
To prevent such occurrences, dealers might vary their speed of the spin from short spins (4-5 revolutions) to mid spins (10-15 revolutions) and up to long spins. They can do so easily by controlling how they launch the ball or simply by switching them up. Heavy balls tend to spin around the roulette wheel slow, contrary to a lightweight ball, which goes around faster.
