Roulette : Two centuries of Roulette

If you want to go back to the 1790s, to live those times even for a few hours enter to a casino and play roulette. In the here and now, you expect modern wheels, designed with red and black spaces, numbers 1 through 36 and zero's. Even if there are two centuries since then, the rules of this game are the same.

One of roulette basic strategies is that the house keeps a percentage of the size of the betting, an average of $5.26 for every $100 or if the bettors are not so familiar with the game they may lose in favor of the house a sum of $7.89 per $100.

Although the strategy favors the house there are a few tips and tricks which can help you to win the wager.

Single-zero and double-zero wheels

When a roulette wheel has only one zero there are 37 numbers and true odds against any one number are 36-1. So you win a single-number wager, you're paid 35-1. That two-unit discrepancy is the house edge.

On a double-zero wheels there are really 38 numbers, including the 0 and 00. So the true odds against any single number turning up are 37-1. There's only one-unit discrepancy between that and the 35-1 payoff on a winning single-number bet.

For you it's important to know that the house edge drops from 5.26 percent on the double-zero wheel to 2.7 percent on a single-zero wheel.

Single-zero roulette is common in Europe and usually you'll have to pay for the lower house edge with larger minimum bets than on the double-zero wheels at the most casinos.

That bonus is the "en prison" rule for wagers with even-money payoffs (odd or even, red or black, 1-18 or 19-36). You won’t lose at the first turn. For example, when you've wagered on red and the wheel comes up 0, your wager is locked en prison. If the wheel comes up red on the next spin, you get your money back. If it comes up black or zero, then you lose.

In this case the house edge drops around 1.35 percent, one of the better bets in the casino.

Learn how to bet according to your goals and finances!

If you don’t care too much about what you can lose and want to make a big score fast then single-number wagers, two-number splits and three-number streets are for you. You'll win that single-number bet only once per 38 spins of the wheel, and it's easy to bust out before you hit that 35-1 payoff.

In case you want to have a good time with the full knowledge that makes you a winner then bets that cover a lot of numbers at once, such as the 12-number columns or dozens or the 18-number red or black, odd or even, are suited. You'll win your bet on black 18 times for every 38 spins, but when you do, it brings a payoff only equal to your wager.

As you can see, even if is a single-zero or a double-zero wheel, wagers all face the same 5.26 percent house edge, the difference consist in the way they get there.

Most players follow the both ways. They spread their money around several wagers, maybe picking one single number for a chance at a big win. After that they bet a couple of corners and streets to give them extra numbers for a chance to extend play.

Choose the perfect moment!

You have to chart numbers for days and analyze them to find a pattern. But that meticulous work isn’t something to try when you're out for a little casino fun.

Most casinos today equip their roulette tables with a lighted display that shows the most recent winning numbers. You can try your luck with that numbers just for fun to see whether there’s a bias into the wheel. Usually this doesn’t happen. It’s only a random coincidence.