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Gambling Roulette Casinos Games Casinos
Players bet on numbers, spreads of number combinations and colors, generated by the fall of a small ivory ball onto a spinning wheel which is divided into 37 or 38 numbered slots, depending on the version being played. This gives the players slightly better odds. Street Bet - A bet that covers a row of three numbers on the table. Pays 11:1. Dozens Bet - The numbers between 1 and 36 are divided into three dozens. Column Bets - A bet on which of the three columns of numbers the ball may landon. Pays 2:1. Roulette is said by some to have been started or invented way back in 1655 by the French scientist Blaise Pascal, during his monastic retreat, and first played in a makeshift casino in Paris. Other historians claim however that a French monk invented it in order to help break some of the monotony of daily monastery life. Players may continue placing bets while wheel and ball are still in motion until the dealer yells (says) "No More Bets! The numbers alternate pairs of odd numbers with pairs of even numbers. The numbers alternate between black and red. The numbers alternate between black and red. Both the 0 and 00 slots are green in color. A dealer, or croupier spins the wheel in one direction and then rolls a small ball in the other direction. Roulette would be a great game were it not for the highhouse edge - usually 5.26%, sometimes as low as 2.63%, which is still higherthan blackjack, craps, or baccarat. The house edge is the same whether youmake one bet per spin or several. When the ball is gettingready to drop, the dealer will wave his hand over the table, which means "Nomore bets". Each player's chips are a different color. That's because if you're betting only inside and someone else isbetting only outside, he can give you both the same color chips and there won'tbe any confusion. When you buy in, tell the dealer what denomination you want. Roulette games have minimum bets, which will be posted on aplacard at the table. Minimum bets work differently for inside and outside bets. It's important tounderstand that the outcome of the roulette wheel is truly random. Here's another example: Since there are 38 slots on the wheel,we expect any given number to hit 1 out of 38 spins on average. Now let's sayyou've been playing Roulette for a few hours, betting on Red every time, andyou've been keeping track of what numbers have hit. Thechances of #27 coming up on a given spin are the same, whether it just come upon the last spin or not - 1 in 38. It's more important to know what the house edge is, than how to calculateit, but here's a quick analysis in case you're interested. Your odds of winning aone-number bet are 37 to 1 (37 ways to lose, 1 way to win) Atlantic City has a special rule whichreduces the house edge to 2.7% on even money bets (Red/Black, Odd/Even,1-18/19-36): If 0 or 00 comes up on on even money bet, you lose only half yourbet. European games have an option called en prison which reduces the house edgeto 1.35%, but it's generally not available in the U.S., even in casinos that usethe European wheel. You don't get paid for the win, though, but it's better than losingit outright. Casino roulette uses the same basic rules and procedures in all casinos throughout the United States and Canada, as well as in the Caribbean and other island gaming resorts on the North American continent. Players purchase special roulette chips, each player with his own color, so that the dealer can tell who made a winning bet and pay off that player. A stack of twenty 25-cent chips is valued at $5.00, and a stack of twenty 50-cent chips is worth $10. Usually it takes a minimum of $20 to buy-in at the roulette betting table. It is important to note that these roulette chips must be cashed in at the table. They may not be removed from the table when the player leaves. The betting layout starts with numbers 0 and 00 at the top, then extends from numbers 1 through 36 at the far end of the table. Actually, you can pick up a total of 36 chips which includes your original bet. The "outside" betting area consists of odd or even bets which pay even money. Red or black pays even odds. In total, 38 numbers are represented on the betting layout. Each game begins when the dealer (sometimes called croupier) spins the wheel in one direction, and then rolls a little ivory ball along the inner edge of the wheel in the opposite direction.
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