Online Roulette Games Online roulette games are a great way to experience the thrill of roulette without having to go to a land-based casino and deal with all the crowds. Roulette (named after the French word for “small wheel”) utilizes a wheel with 37 (or 38 in American Roulette) red and black numbers, and a small ball which is spun in the opposite direction on a track. When the ball slows, it will fall onto one of the numbers, and players try to predict where it will land.

Since players are not physically involved in the land-based version (unlike craps), online roulette games are even more popular than their real-life counterparts. Online casinos such as Bodog offer clear graphics and even sound effects to create the illusion of being in a casino.

History of Roulette

Known as “The King of Casino Games,“ the history of roulette can be traced back to France in the 18th century. The current form of the game has been played since 1796 in Paris, although New France (Canada) reportedly banned a game called roulette in 1758.

The single “0” roulette wheel debuted in the German town of Homburg in 1843. It was created by the French brothers Francois and Louis Blanc. During this time, roulette grew in popularity, soon becoming one of the most-played games in the United States and Europe. A legend even suggests that Francois Blanc made a deal with the devil to get the secrets of the roulette wheel (as all the numbers on the game add up to 666, the dreaded “Number of the Beast”).

Gambling was made illegal in Germany around 1860, and the Blanc family moved to Monte Carlo, one of the most important events in the history of roulette. With the rise of Monte Carlo, the single zero roulette game flourished and became the most popular version in the world (except in the United States, where the double zero game still reigns).

For many years, Monte Carlo and Las Vegas were the only major casino towns to offer roulette. That changed in the 1970s, when roulette games seemed to spring up all over the globe. Now, it is estimated that there are hundreds of casinos which offer the popular game of chance. And with the invention of the Internet, online roulette games have also become increasingly common.

Roulette Wheel Number Sequence

Pockets on a roulette wheel are numbered from 1 to 36, and each pocket is alternately colored red and black. The French version of the game (the most popular roulette game worldwide) has a green pocket numbered “0,” while the American roulette wheel also has a green pocket labeled “00.”

Numbers on a single zero roulette wheel are found in the following clockwise sequence:

0 - 32 - 15 - 19 - 4 - 21 - 2 - 25 - 17 - 34 - 6 - 27 - 13 - 36 - 11 - 30 - 8 - 23 - 10 - 5 - 24 - 16 - 33 - 1 - 20 - 14 - 31 - 9 - 22 - 18 - 29 - 7- 28 - 12 - 35 - 3 - 26

Numbers on a double zero roulette wheel have the following clockwise sequence:

0 - 28 - 9- 26 - 30 - 11 - 7 - 20 - 32 - 17 - 5 - 22 - 34 - 15 - 3 - 24 - 36 - 13 - 1 - 00 - 27 - 10 - 25 - 29 - 12 - 8 - 19 - 31 - 18 - 6 -21 - 33 - 16 - 4 - 23 - 35 - 14 - 2

Roulette Odds and Roulette Betting

When betting on roulette, the player has a number of options. He can bet on where the ball will fall (“inside bets”), or he can wager on pocket color, positional groupings and odd or even (“outside bets”). Most roulette betting is governed by minimum and maximum bets, and these may vary for inside and outside wagers.

The cloth over the betting area on a roulette table is known as the layout. This is where players will place their chips when making a bet.

Roulette inside bets include:

Trio - A wager on the intersecting point between 0, 1 and 2 or 0, 2 and 3. Odds are 11.667 to 1.
Straight Up - Any bet on a single roulette number. Odds of winning are 37 to 1.
Split - A wager on two adjoining numbers on the roulette table layout. Odds of winning are 18 to 1.
Six Line - A wager on two adjoining “streets” (a row of three horizontal numbers). Odds of winning are 5.33 to 1.
Street - A wager placed on three numbers which form a horizontal line. Odds of winning are 11.667 to 1.
Corner - A wager on four number which form a square on the layout. Odds of winning are 8.5 to 1.

Roulette outside bets include:

1 to 18 - The player is wagering that a number from 1 to 18 will come up. Odds are 1.111 to 1.
19 to 36 - The player is betting that a number from 19 to 36 will come up. Odds are 1.111 to 1.
Red or Black - A wager on which color will come up. Odds of winning are 1.111 to 1.
Dozen Bets - A wager on the first, second or third group of 12 numbers. These numbers are 1-12, 13-24 and 25-36. Odds of winning are 2.167 to 1.
Even or Odd - The player wagers on whether the number will be even or odd. Odds of winning are 1.111 to 1.
Column Bets - A wager which includes all 12 numbers on any vertical line on the layout. Odds of winning are 2.167 to 1.

Roulette Strategy and Systems

Like any other type of gambling, players have devoted countless hours to trying to perfect a winning strategy for roulette. But while many roulette strategies and systems exist, it has never been proven that one of these allows the player to consistently beat the casino.

When discussing roulette strategy and systems, these are some of the most notable subjects:

The Martingale Betting Strategy - After each loss, the player doubles their bet.
Green numbers (0 and 00) are believed to be the “house numbers.” Betting on these numbers will also give you the house edge. This is not true, although the zeros do exist to give the house a mathematical edge.
Bet on Red - In this roulette strategy, the player bets on the ball landing on red for a certain number of spins. For example, if the wheel is spun 38 times, there is a 99% chance that the ball will come up on red at least 10 times.
Labouchere System - A betting progression strategy like the Martingale System.
1st and 3rd Column - Players wager on the first column and the third column, which covers most of the red numbers on the layout. Another bet is placed on black. This only leaves a few numbers uncovered.
The Biased Wheel Attack - The player clocks the wheel to find deviations which indicate some kind of flaw.
Red Snake Roulette Bet - On a roulette table layout, the Red Snake begins on 1 and snakes down the layout over red numbers 5, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 23, 27, 30, 32 and 34.

Live Roulette TV

Launched in the United Kingdom in 2005, Live Roulette TV allows the audience to place bets while watching roulette online or over their television. Using a single zero roulette wheel, the game is the same as you would find in a casino, and a new spin takes place every three minutes.

The names of winners are displayed on the screen after each spin. In addition to wagering, players can also email the show with comments, questions and discussion topics.

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