Saturday, 04 April 2009 13:42

Introduction

The game of Roulette as we know it today was played in Paris as far back 1796 and is believed to derive from a fusion of the English wheel games 'Roly-Poly', 'Ace of Hearts', 'E.O.' and a French board game already known as 'Roulette'.

Named after the French word for "small wheel", Roulette is often known as the 'King of Games', associated as it is with the glamour of the Casino.

bet365 provides three different Roulette games for its players. These are European Roulette, American Roulette and Roulette Pro. Here we explain the bets available on these games, look at some of the betting systems which exist and discover your best way of enjoying one of the most popular of all Casino games.

There are many kinds of standard bets you can place in Roulette, and it is best if you familiarise yourself quickly with these and the odds that are available for each of them.

The diagram below illustrates where your chips are placed for each of the types of bet you can make when playing Roulette. The table explains what these bets are called, their odds and which numbers are covered by them.

Beginners Bets

Roulette is one of the most popular casino games, and it's not difficult to see why. It is easy to play and offers enough betting options to suit the tastes of both the serious player and those looking for the enjoyable thrill of a quick bet.

If you're new to the game then the best thing to do is keep it simple. There are many straightforward bets available that allow you to enjoy the Roulette experience while you become more confident in your play. Try sticking to straight up numbers or placing even money bets such as red/black and odd/even.

Over time, players may develop their own system of betting based on a strategic plan. However, each new spin of the wheel produces a random result, and no system is absolutely guaranteed to make a profit over a period of time. Using favourite/significant numbers is as good a strategy as any other if you want to enjoy playing Roulette.

Betting Systems

Many players like to employ betting patterns that steadily increase the size of their bets until a winning spin comes along. The most well-known example is the 'Martingale System', in which you double your bet every time you don't win. Many players believe this to be a sure-fire winning system, but the risk of the Martingale System is that a player invariably starts to bet ever increasing amounts of money to do little more than break even. Even when starting with a stake of one unit of currency, a losing run of seven straight spins using the Martingale System will mean that the eighth bet needs to be 128 units to return a profit of just one unit.

To discourage this betting pattern most casinos set table limits - as does bet365. Long sequences of numbers and colours can and do occur at the Roulette wheel, and it is not extraordinary to see a sequence of, for example, many reds. You should enjoy sustained winning streaks when they happen, but be wary of wagering ever greater numbers of chips when the spins are going against you!