8 Interesting Facts About Roulette

Want to get a better understanding of roulette? A little extra knowledge can help you feel more confident when you bet on that spinning wheel. Learn 8 interesting facts about roulette.

Roulette is an exciting game of chance that involves betting on where the little ball will land when the spinning wheel stops. You can bet on the color (black or red), whether the number will be even or odd, or on a specific number, including the elusive 0 and in American roulette, the 00. This casino game has a fascinating history, and there are plenty of fun facts that can actually help you better understand how it really works.

Check out these eight interesting facts about the game of roulette to think about the next time you play roulette at an online casino or in person.

It Has a Devilish Connection

You may have heard roulette referred to as “the Devil’s game” or the roulette wheel itself being called “the Devil’s wheel,” maybe in a movie or on the casino floor. But why does it have such a satanic connection?

Well, if you add up all the numbers on the wheel, you get 666, the mark of the beast. Superstitious players may avoid the game altogether because of that, while others may be drawn to a game that has others running away. Since casino superstitions are all about the perceiver, you can make up your mind about roulette’s devilish connection.

Even Money Bets Aren’t 50/50

An even money bet is when the odds of winning or losing are roughly the same. In roulette, an even money bet would be betting on black or red or betting even or odd. Basically, you’re betting on one of two choices that have roughly the same odds of winning. But while you might think of this as a 50/50 chance, you’d actually be wrong. Even money bets are not quite 50/50 but better than 40/60.

Why? Every roulette wheel, no matter European or American, has at least one (and up to two) additional pockets that don’t count as black or red (because they’re green) or even or odd (because they’re zeroes).

Let’s break it down: There are a total of 38 outcomes on an American roulette wheel. Two of the 38 outcomes are a green zero (0) and green double-zero (00), respectively. There are 36 total red or black pockets, making for 18 of each color. Divide 18 black/red pockets by the number of total pockets, 38, and you get approximately 47.37%. That means the house wins more than 52% of the time.

There Are Two Different Types of Roulette Played Around the World

As alluded to in the above section, there are two major types of roulette played in casinos around the world: American roulette, which is the most common type, and European roulette. While much of the rules and bet types are the same, there’s actually a pretty significant difference to note. The house edge in American roulette is 5.25%, while the house edge for European roulette is only about 2.6%.

That’s because the number of total pockets differs on each wheel. The American wheel has 38 pockets, thanks to the 0 and 00. The European wheel only has 37, meaning there are fewer outcomes. That also means that your odds for an even money bet are betting in European roulette, but not by that much: 48.64% as opposed to 47.37%.

It’s Basically Impossible To Cheat at Roulette

The movies always make cheating at casino games look easy, and movie roulette is no different. But real-life roulette isn’t as easy to cheat. For instance, it’s impossible to stop the wheel at just the right time so the ball lands in the exact right pocket. That completely debunks the movies and TV shows that would have us believe that the croupiers were masters of the wheel.

Plus, casinos regularly check and replace their gaming equipment to ensure everything is 100% legitimate; that means no magnetic ball and no rigged wheel. However, before casinos were as regulated as they are today, there were multiple stories of players, like Dr. Richard Jarecki, who beat the game and cashed out hundreds of thousands of dollars.

California Plays Roulette Using Cards

The state of California allows gambling, but there are some pretty strict stipulations around the kinds of games you can play to win money. One such rule is that the only device that can be used to play and win is a deck of cards. So, the gambling industry in California created its own card-based version of roulette. The payouts, rules, and odds are the same as they would be playing roulette on a traditional wheel in Vegas or Atlantic City.

17 Is One of the Most Common Bets

If you’ve watched old James Bond movies with Sean Connery, you may have seen him win big when betting on the number 17. In fact, the number 17 is one of the most common numbers to bet on. Some people say it’s because of James Bond, while others believe it’s most likely due to the fact that 17 is in the middle of the betting table, drawing people’s attention right to it.

However, it’s important to note that this number’s position has nothing to do with its likelihood to be called. While it may be a common number to bet on, it actually has lower odds for being landed on. In fact, there’s a record for the number 19 instead; at the Rio Casino in Las Vegas, the number 19 was once called seven times in a row!

Roulette Uses Different Chips Than Other Games

When you place bets in roulette, you lay down chips on the numbers, colors, and number ranges you’re hoping the ball will land on. But these chips aren’t the same you’d play with and win at, say, a poker table. You play with chips that are a color specific to only you, provided to you by the croupier. All you have to do is buy chips with cash at the table (and between spins so as to not interrupt the game).

But since they’re the same color, how do you place bets of different values? Your croupier will ask you what denomination you want your chips in. So, if you’re at a $5 minimum table, you might get $1 chips to bet on more spots.

Betting Systems Don’t Really Work in Roulette

There are more than a dozen different betting systems for the game of roulette. While these systems do help you gain a sense of control over the wheel, they do not provide a guaranteed win or strategy to help you overcome the odds. But plenty of new and seasoned roulette players swear by one or more of these betting systems.

For instance, the Martingale System involves doubling your bet after every loss and restarting your bets after a win. This system means well — it’s an attempt to gain back your losses and even profit a bit on a win. And other simpler betting strategies, like changing to odd after it hits even or changing to black after it hits red, aren’t really going to help either. But that’s what makes roulette so thrilling — it’s a game of pure chance. The odds of hitting the same color 10 times in a row are 1 in 1024, but the record for hitting the same color is held by a casino in Bristol, England, where it struck red 36 consecutive spins.

Even though systems like the Martingale, Fibonacci, and Labouchère systems use mathematical probability to help you win in spite of the chaotic odds, there’s no surefire way to win roulette. So you might as well just enjoy the ride and consider betting on red or black for better odds than individual numbers.
You can play roulette and many other awesome casino games at your favorite New Jersey online casino. Some online casinos even offer live roulette so you can have the experience of playing in person but from the comfort of your home. Or, you can play digital roulette with the same odds and payouts you’d get at a land-based casino.