What is Roulette?

In essence, roulette is a large spinning wheel with numbered pockets (usually 1 to 36, plus one or two zero pockets). The table is there for you to bet on which of these pockets - and with what properties - the little white ball will land in. For example, whether the winning pocket holds an even or odd number, is red or black, and which exact number the ball will stop on.

A game born from failure

The game owes its existence to a failure. In 1655 the famous French physicist Blaise Pascal was trying to invent a perpetuum mobile (a perpetual motion machine). While he couldn't cheat the laws of physics, he accidentally created the first version of the roulette wheel ("Roulette" is French for little wheel).

The zero and accusations of satanism

For centuries the wheel remained mere entertainment, until 1842, when the French brothers François and Louis Blanc modified the wheel by adding a single "0" in honour of Prince Charles III of Monaco. This gave the casino a mathematical advantage without shutting out the players' chances of winning.

Fun fact: Legend has it the Blanc brothers struck a deal with the devil for their success - add up all the numbers on the wheel (1 to 36) and the total comes to 666.

The American version - WITH EAGLES!

When the game crossed the Atlantic and reached the USA, casino owners felt their edge wasn't big enough. They added a second zero ("00"), and early versions even had an American eagle symbol as an extra casino pocket. While the eagle disappeared over time, the "00" stayed, creating the two main versions we play today:

• European roulette: 37 pockets (a single zero).
• American roulette: 38 pockets (zero + double zero).

If your odds of winning matter to you in any way at all, there is no reason whatsoever to play American roulette - your mathematical chances of winning are simply lower there.

How does the game work?

In roulette there's nothing to count, unlike in Blackjack, for example. You simply have to figure out how to place your bets.

The game step by step:

1. Placing bets: You put your chips on the table layout. You have time until the Dealer (called the Croupier) announces: "No more bets!"
2. Spinning the wheel: The dealer spins the wheel and tosses the ball in the opposite direction. Now it's time to cross your fingers.
3. The result: The ball drops into one of the numbered pockets. All wins are settled based on that number and its properties - red/black, even/odd, high/low.

What do we bet on?

This is the fun part, because you can be as bold or as careful as you like!

The safest option (Smaller but more frequent wins)

These are bets on properties that give you nearly a 50% chance of winning (payout 1:1):

• Red or Black: Will a red or a black number come up?
• Even or Odd: Will the number be even or odd?
• High or Low: Will the number be from 1 to 18, or from 19 to 36?

The bold option (Bigger wins)

Here you bet on more specific spots. The lower the probability, the bigger the payout!

• On a Specific Number (Straight Up): You guess the exact number (for example, 7). The payout is usually 35:1. A big win, but a rare one!
• On Two or Three Numbers: You can place your chip on the line between two or three numbers, which improves your chances.

The most popular betting strategies

Once players know the bet types, many turn to systems to try to beat the casino. Here's an explanation of the two most popular bet progression systems - the Martingale and the Fibonacci. Both are usually used in roulette on the "even chances" (Red/Black, Even/Odd), where the payout is 1:1.

1. The Martingale System

This is the most famous and most aggressive strategy.

• The principle: After every loss you double your bet.
• The goal: To recover all previous losses with a single win and make a small profit (the size of your starting bet).

How it works (Example with a 1€ starting bet):

1. You bet 1€ and lose. (Balance: -1€)
2. You double and bet 2€. Lose. (Balance: -1 - 2 = -3€)
3. You double and bet 4€. Lose. (Balance: -3 - 4 = -7€)
4. You double and bet 8€. YOU WIN!
   • You receive 16€ (8€ stake + 8€ winnings).
   • Your total outlay was 1+2+4+8 = 15€.
   • Net profit: 16€ - 15€ = 1€.
5. After a win, go back to your starting bet (1€).

• Pros: In theory it guarantees a win (provided you have infinite money).
• Cons: "Exponential growth". You can hit the table's bet limit or empty your bankroll very quickly.

2. The Fibonacci System

This system is based on the famous number sequence we see in nature. It's less aggressive than the Martingale.

• The principle: You increase your bets following the Fibonacci sequence: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55... (each next number is the sum of the previous two).
• The rule:
  • If you lose: Move one step forward (to the right) in the sequence.
  • If you win: Step two steps back (to the left) in the sequence.

How it works:

1. Bet 1€. Lose. (Move to the next number -> 1)
2. Bet 1€. Lose. (Move to the next -> 2)
3. Bet 2€. Lose. (Move to the next -> 3)
4. Bet 3€. Lose. (Move to the next -> 5)
5. Bet 5€. YOU WIN!
   • Now, instead of starting over, you step back two places. From 5 you go to 2.
6. Your next bet is 2€.

• Pros: Bets don't grow as steeply as in the Martingale, letting you play longer on a smaller budget.
• Cons: It's a slower way to recover losses, and the risk of landing in a long losing streak remains.

The systems, summed up

• The Martingale is an "all or nothing" approach - fast recovery, but a huge risk of going bust in a long losing streak.
• The Fibonacci is a "marathon" approach - a slower game that tries to keep losses under control rather than aggressively wiping them out in one move.

Important to remember: Neither of these systems changes the game's underlying mathematics (House Edge). In the long run, the casino still holds the advantage.

P.s. Before you dive into the game, don't forget to find yourself a great welcome bonus.