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Roulette Is Not Just a European Game
Many people think that that Roulette is the classic European casino game. Just say the word "roulette" and people start to think of images of Monte Carlo and James Bond. But did you know there is a popular American version of Roulette?
The Origins of European Roulette
Roulette is French for "little wheel" and refers to the way people play roulette. A small metal ball is spun around a spinning wheel and eventually comes to rest in a numbered slot that is either colored black or red. (The zero and double zero slots are normally green.) Players can win by betting anything from specific numbers (which pay at 36 to 1) or by betting for groups (even half the board betting black, red, even, or odd.)
The First Roulette Wheel
The first roulette wheel was built in 17th century France, by the mathematician Blaise Pascal, who was supposedly inspired by his fascination with perpetual motion devices. Pascal believed that an object in motion would stay in motion. While he couldn't prove his theory, when the giant numbered wheel he built for his experiments kept stopping, he realized that he had just invented a new game.
American Roulette
Around the turn of the century, tens of thousands of new immigrants arrived in America from Europe. Many brought aspects of their cultures with them, and this included popular games. Roulette started to be played in America after 1900, although at first it didn't really catch on in the major casinos. To drum up casino support, a new slot of "double zeros" was added to the wheel. Anytime the ball landed in this new slot, the house won. While it really didn't change the odds much for individual players (who now were facing one to thirty-seven odds on a single number instead of one to thirty-six), it did make the game profitable for American casinos. To make clear that they were using the American wheels, many casinos had the picture of a bald eagle printed on the "double zero" slot.
Online Roulette
Today, you can play either version, European or American, roulette online. While the games are very similar, the one thing you must be aware of is the extra zero slot in the American version. So with American wheels, you will win slightly less often than with European ones. However, statically, this rarely will affect the individual player. Either way, it depends on your own personal style which version you want to play.
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