The roulette is probably one of the most popular and favourite casino games played both online and offline. This game of chance has its roots that can be traced back to Europe. As early as 17th century, French people from all walks of life had been enjoying what they called the “little wheel.” During the chaotic times of the French Revolution, waves upon waves of French immigrants were arriving in the ports of the US, seeking refuge from the dangers back home. They brought along with them their hopes and dreams of a better and safer future. In return, the Americans were gifted with the roulette.
According to history, the first Americanized French roulette wheel only has the numbers 1 to 28, a single zero, a double zero, and an image of an American bald eagle. Should the ball landed on either of the two zero pockets and in the eagle as well, the house would take all the bets save for those bets made on that specific winning pocket.
This gives the house a whooping 12.9% edge. Obviously, the game became a staple among casino establishments. The problem was that players were avoiding the roulette which forced the casinos to make some revisions, this removed the iconic eagle symbol in the process. Eventually, it became what is now known as the double zero roulette or the American roulette.
The American Roulette Wheel
Unlike the European roulette wheel which has 37 slots (numbers 1-36 plus a single zero), the American variant has 38 slots in total (numbers 1-36, a single zero, and a double zero). Just like its predecessors, the numbers are colored red or black, while the zeros are colored green.
Making Double Zero Roulette Bets
Betting on an American roulette game is basically similar in form with the single zero roulette where the player has a big selection of bets to make. Each bet has its own respective payouts and odds. There are two main categories of roulette bets:
Inside bets – these are bets made either on a specific number, a number pair, an adjacent group of numbers, or a column. Despite the low odds of winning, the payouts for inside bets are quite higher than those of the outside bets.
Outside bets – these bets are made to cover a large group of numbers (odd/even, 1st 12, 2nd 12, 3rd 12, 1-18, and 19-36). Players can also bet on the color outcome or if it is odd or even. Payouts are low but the chance of winning is high.
American Roulette House Edge
Despite the improvements made on the game, the American roulette still has the higher advantage for the house with 5.26%. To make it even worse for the players, this roulette game variant doesn’t apply the European rules of “La Partage” and “en prison.”
However, there are select casinos in Atlantic City and tables in Las Vegas that offer “La Partage.” For the uninitiated, the rule dictates that when the ball lands in either of the zeros, all players get half of their bets back. This particularly makes the house edge from 5.26% to 2.63%.
In this instance, playing the American roulette is favourable. However, it’s hard to find casinos such as the ones mentioned above that offer “La Partage.”
When playing online casino games for real money, one should be wary of the type of roulette he/she would play. We highly recommend going for the European or the single zero roulette.