Online Roulette
The History of Roulette
The game of Roulette (a French word meaning "little wheel") has been played in its current form since as early as 1796 and it is believed to be an amalgamation of the English wheel games Roly-Poly, Ace of hearts, E.O., and the Italian games of Hoca and Biribi.
The oldest historical reference to the game of Roulette can be found in official regulations published for the territories of New France (Canada), which banned the games of "dice, Hoca and Roulette". The first literary reference of the game can be found in the 17th century French novel "La Roulette, ou le Jour" by Jaques Lablee.
During the 1800’s Roulette took first Europe and then the Americas by storm, but it was the Frenchmen François and Louis Blanc who brought the game to the attention of the financial elite when they established a casino in the Principality of Monte Carlo. It was here that the game of Roulette prospered and was then exported across the world. It was also because of the Monte Carlo connection that Roulette became known as the "King of casino games".
The advantage of playing online Roulette
Online Roulette is a much more leisurely game than many other online casino games due to the time it takes to place the bet and the spinning of the wheel. It is however still much faster than land based Roulette and herein lies the advantage, because more rounds can be played in a much shorter time. This results in all the excitement of online casino play mixed with the high class elegance of land based Roulette.
For more on all the Roulette games available at JackpotCity.com online casino please go to our Table Games page.
How to play online Roulette
At the beginning of each Roulette round the dealer will ask you to "place your bets". This offers the player a chance to place a variety of bets (there are more betting options in Roulette than in any other casino game) with the choices divided between "inside and "outside" bets. The "inside" bets are made up of number combinations within the inner numbered section of the Roulette table whereas the "outside" bets are the bets that lie outside the numbered section of the Roulette table.
The different types of "inside" bets in Roulette are:
Straight bet: This is where the chips are placed in the middle of a number square.
Split bet: This is a bet on 2 adjoining numbers where the chips are placed on the line between numbers.
Street bet: This is a bet on 3 numbers in a single horizontal line where the chips are placed on the edge of a line of numbers at the end of the line.
Corner / Square bet: This is a bet on 4 numbers in a square layout where the chips are placed at the horizontal and vertical intersection of the lines between the numbers.
Sixline bet: This is a bet on 2 adjoining streets (see above) where the chips are placed at the corresponding intersection.
Trio bet: This is a bet where the chips are placed on the intersection point of zero, one and two or zero, two and three.
The different types of "outside" bets in Roulette are:
Even money bet: This is a bet on 18 numbers where the chips are placed in the box that represents an "attribute" (black, red, low, high, even, odd).
Group bet: This is a bet on the 1st, 2nd or 3rd group of 12 numbers.
Column bet: This is a bet on all 12 numbers on any of the vertical lines where the chips are placed below the final number in the column.
Basic Roulette strategy
The first thing a player needs to understand about Roulette strategies, is that they are all based on odds and the chance of the ball landing in the correct (for that specific player at least) slot. It is universally accepted (and just plain common sense) that the best way to increase the odds of winning in Roulette is to bet on a group of numbers.
Roulette strategies that increase the odds of winning and offer higher payouts are:
The 12 number bet: This is where you place your bet on either side of the first, middle or last third of the numbers on the Roulette table. This offers the chance of winning the equivalent of the bet back plus double. In other words, for every €1 you bet you’ll win another €1 back plus €2 from the house. This is one of the most popular Roulette betting strategies.
Combined bets: This is where you place your bet on a colour and a third. This is referred to as hedging your Roulette bet or using insurance. This allows for the opportunity to either win both or split the bets.
Long shot bets: This is where you place your bet on only 1 or 2 squares. You need to keep this bet low to avoid losing a large sum of money (it is a long shot after all), but if you win you’ll win big.
Online Roulette tips
- In Roulette the more numbers you bid on the higher the odds of winning, but the higher the odds of winning the less you win.
- You can place multiple bets on the same spin, but in online Roulette once you’ve clicked on the "Spin Wheel" button you’ll have to wait until the next round to place another bet.
- If possible avoid the zero or double zero
- Even though the payouts are lower, "outside" bets have the highest odds of winning in Roulette and first time or inexperienced Roulette players should try playing these first. Typical "outside" bets in Roulette are: a column of numbers, a twelve number grouping, a colour (red or black) and odds or evens.
- A winning bet on a single number offers a payout of x36.
Variants of online Roulette
The two variants of online Roulette at JackpotCity.com online casino are American and European Roulette. The main difference can be found in the layout between American and European Roulette with the American version containing an additional number, namely the double zero. The payouts for all the bets remain the same in both forms of the game and the double zero in American Roulette pays out the same as a corner 8 – 1 in European Roulette.
Famous Roulette bets
Roulette has been a feature of both American [Casablanca (1942)] and European [Run, Lola, Run (1998)] movies over the years and has also featured in everything from music videos to episodes of South Park. But its two major player success stories are continents and years apart:
- In 1873 the Englishman Joseph Jaggers, with a team of six clerks, took advantage of a flaw in one of the Roulette wheels at the Monte Carlo Casino and won £165,000. This was an enormous sum of money at the time.
- In 2004, London resident Ashley Revell sold everything he owned and took it to Las Vegas and placed his entire worth on Red in a double-or-nothing bet. The ball landed on Red 7 and he walked out of the casino with his net-worth doubled.