Roulette, among other casino games, is probably one that heavily relies on the player’s luck. It’s a love and hate relationship with the game because anything can just happen once the wheel stops. It could either be in your favor or not at all. The exhilaration this game brings earns its well-deserved nickname as the queen of casinos, both online and land-based.
Basically, the object of roulette is for the players to predict what number the ball will land once the wheel is turned. The face of the wheel itself has different variations across continents. The European version of the game, which is also often found in Asian casinos, has only one zero, for a total of 37 spots. The American variant, on the other hand, has a single zero and a double zero, making up for 38 pockets in all.
The history of playing roulette can be traced back as early as the 17th century, and was believed to be introduced by the French mathematician and scientist Blaise Pascal. Other interesting little known facts about the game are as follows:
- Roulette had Albert Einstein scratching his head
The brightest thinker in the history of mankind was said to be intrigued by the game that he decided to formulate strategies on how to beat it. After numerous attempts, Einstein thrown in the towel and just admitted that solving the mystery of roulette was impossible.
“The only way to beat the Roulette is if you steal the money from the dealer while he is not looking,” the famous theoretical physicist was often quoted as saying.
- The cases of two players who broke the bank
While still in the topic of beating the game, there were actually two separate occasions when players were able to break the wheel, but not in a way that contradicts Einstein’s aforementioned statement. The truth of the matter is, roulette follows certain laws of physics. Although it seems to be at random, to where the ball lands in a pocket is greatly determined by a lot of factors like the speed of the spinning wheel, the way the ball bounces, the nicks on the wheel, as well as the degree of its tilt. Yes, there are instances where the wheel is poorly balanced or seated. Such mishaps can be taken advantage of by roulette connoisseurs like Joseph Jagger, in 1873. A mechanic by trade, the man who happens to have a keen eye on how things work, reportedly paid a number of people to spot for him defective roulette wheels in casinos. He then used the information to help him win big money.
Charles Devile Wells was said to have followed the latter’s footsteps and managed to broke Monte-Carlo Casino. His great feat inspired the song “The Man who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo.”
- The number 17
The pocket number 17 in a roulette wheel
MI6’s own James Bond is quite a gambler himself. As part of his clandestine work, Agent 007 can sometimes be found in roulette tables, placing his bets on his favorite number believed to be 17. Such influence brought forth the aptly-called James Bond betting system. It is a flat betting system where a player wagers the same amount for every round.
- “The Devil’s Wheel”
The numbers on the roulette wheels, starting from 1-36, interestingly add up to 666, which is said to be the “Number of the Beast.” Legend has it that Francois Blanc (the operator of Monte Carlo Casino) bargained with the devil to obtain the secrets of the game.
- Should I go for the European roulette or the American-style table?
Example layout of an American roulette table
This is one of the most common questions asked by new players, and veterans of the game would outright say to look for European tables as it offer better odds to players than its American counterpart which, as mentioned above, has extra 00 number. The house edge on an American roulette is 5.26% while the other kind of table has 2.7%.
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