1. Roulette is the easiest game to play in the casino. There is no strategy to learn or studying to do. The player has 11 different ways to make a wager, which can result in 161 specific betting spots available on the layout.
2. At one time, Monte Carlo casino in Monaco had 65 roulette wheels on hand, but only 22 were in action on any given day.
3. The house edge on roulette with a double zero wheel is 5.26 percent, regardless on how one bets. (There is one exception, see #4)
4. The five number bet, (0, 00, 1, 2, 3,) is the worst bet in roulette, the house edge jumps to 7.89 percent for that specific wager.
5. When visiting Las Vegas, Reno or Atlantic City, try and find a wheel with only a single zero. This is known as a French wheel and the odds drop to only 2.7 percent, which is better for the player.
6. One option at roulette is to play black or red, odd or even, low (1-18) or high (19-36). The house pays even money on these bets. That is the same payout for a blackjack bet or Pass Line bet at craps.
7. When all the roulette numbers are added together, the sum equals 666.
8. Roulette is a game of chance, like slots, craps and keno, which can not be beaten mathematically. Play it for fun, but not for serious money.
9. If you should win on a single-number wager, the house will pay you 35 to 1. The true odds are 37 to 1. That results in the house keeping 5.25 percent of the bet. The house has to pay salaries, lighting and all the overhead cost. The built-in house edge of 5.26 percent or 2.70 percent is how they do it.
10. There is an old story about one casino in Las Vegas that decided to install the single zero wheel. Within a short period of time, players complained that the loss of the double zero was “unfair” and not available to bet on, and they didn’t like it. Shortly afterwards the house replaced the single zero wheel with the double zero one.
Bet – You Didn’t Know
• It is believed by many that the noted French scientist and mathematician, Blaise Pascal, (1623-1662), who pioneered the mathematical field of probability, invented a mechanism similar to roulette in 1657, while experimenting with perpetual motion devices.
• In the Philippines, to prevent any past posting at roulette, dealers ring a bell and announce "no more bets" before spinning the ball.
• Early American roulette wheels had only 28 numbers but had a 0, double 00, and an eagle slot. That extra eagle spot helped to gave the house a whopping 12.3 percent edge.
• The most popular number played at roulette is 17. It is also considered the James Bond number.
• Roulette is the most popular casino game in Europe. In some casinos you will find only two or three blackjack tables, while they might have 8 to 12 roulette wheels.
• The roulette wheels used in the casinos of Paris in the late 1790s had red for the single zero and black for the double zero. To avoid confusion, the color green was selected for the zeros in roulette wheels starting in the 1800s.
