American Roulette Online Everywhere

The wonderful game of roulette has been with us since the early part of 18th century. A French word meaning little wheel the game has become synonymous with casinos the world over. Even if you have never gambled in your life you will know what a roulette wheel looks like. The history of the game is rich and varied and there are now many variations available and thanks to technology American roulette online has become very popular. Just about every online casino offers American roulette.

American Roulette Wheel – Not Really American

As with all things these days there are many versions of how things came about and roulette is no different. The most popular view is the wheel was invented by a monk in the 17th century called Blaise Pascal. Whether this is true or not is debatable. The first recorded mention of the game is much later. The design of the wheel and betting table is where a lot of misinformation is touted. Many people believe that the 38 slot wheel was first used in America hence why it is called the American roulette wheel. This is not true. At the beginning of the 19th century the first incarnation of the modern roulette wheel had 38 slots and was used in both France and England, long before the game reached America. So the original wheel was in fact European but is now called the American wheel. The modern European roulette wheel with only the single zero appeared in the mid-19th century. Two French men in the German casino town Bad Homburg are credited with introducing it. It is said it was used as a marketing exercise so the casino could stand out from the rest of the crowd. The house edge is a lot thinner with the single zero wheel. This new wheel was used alongside the double zero 38 slot wheels in Europe for quite some time. The single zero version is now the predominant wheel used in the whole of Europe, and has become known as the French or European wheel.
When roulette made it to the shores of America the wheel had both the zero slots in it and this is the version that stuck. I’m guessing the main reason is the house edge is much better so the single zero just wasn’t used by the Americans. In fact some early tables had both zero slots and an eagle slot all of which were the banks. But what does it all mean to the punter? Well the betting rules for American roulette are stacked even further to the house. In European roulette depending on the house rules if the ball lands in the zero slot all bets are held over to the next spin, except bets on the zero which are paid the same as any single number bet. The stake rolls other and if you win the next spin you get back half the bet. The American rules are unless you place a specific bet with the zeros if the ball lands in either zero or double zero slot all bets are lost. The house edge for American roulette is a very healthy one at a little over 5%.

Language And Layout

There are differences in the layout of the betting table traditional French tables have the wheel in the middle of the table. American roulette has the wheel at one end. French tables have all the betting terms written in French and the American version in English. This is a bit of a moot point with the internet as most tables have a mix and match of language and layout. The only real difference if you play American roulette online is the extra double zero slot and its related betting rules. The strategies employed on how to play American roulette are not really any different to the French/European version. Mathematically there is no system better than any other. If the game is straight and the RNG works as it should all outcomes are truly random. There are however some tips to learn the game. The first biggest and best tips is if you want to play roulette don’t play the American version. The odds are stacked plain and simple. But if you must play start small. Bet red or black or odd or even. These even money bets give the worst payout but you are much more likely to win. Then start to bet on the multi number options. Choose a column or a corner bet. The payouts are less but the chances of hitting something much better than a single number bet. Once you get into the game and understand the odds more some of the other bets come into play to liven it up. The thing to remember is the house always wins in the long run.