Whether you’re an avid casino player or not, there’s no doubt you’ll have heard of Roulette. If you opt to play online Roulette or at a land-based venue, you’ll know that the game of chance is completely unpredictable.
However, this begs the question: how does a Roulette wheel really work?
Join us as we take a look at exactly how the game works, as well as the difference between playing online or at a brick-and-mortar casino.
The wheel
There are two main variations of the Roulette wheel – European and American. Both of these have numbers one through 36, alternating in red and black pockets around the wheel. The numbers interchange from odd to even and high to low, yet still display a placement that’s as random as possible.
The main difference between the American and European versions of the Roulette wheel is that the American wheel features both a single and double zero green pocket, whilst the European only has the single zero pocket, and therefore a lower house edge.
How to play
Roulette gameplay is fairly simple. Essentially, you’ll choose between a variety of bets and place your wager where you predict the small ball – also known as a pill – will land. The bets are separated into what’s known as inside and outside bets, each covering different segments of the wheel and offering different odds.
Once the betting window is closed, the croupier will spin the wheel, dropping the ball into play, spinning in the opposite direction.
If you place a wager and have predicted the outcome of the spin correctly, you’ll receive a payout.
Land-based vs online Roulette
Playing Roulette at a land-based casino can be slightly different in comparison to playing online, and whilst the Live Casino at your chosen online site can give you an authentic Roulette experience with a real-life dealer hosting the game in real-time, digital wheels work slightly differently.
Virtual Roulette is kept fair and unpredictable thanks to a Random Number Generator (RNG). This is computer software that creates undecipherable patterns and combinations of numbers and symbols every single second.
So, the very second you press spin, is the exact second the outcome of the game is decided. The beauty of an RNG is that it has no memory, so any previous wins or losses are irrelevant.
The software is designed to replicate the unpredictability and complete randomness of a land-based casino croupier spinning the wheel, so you can rest assured that online Roulette remains the ultimate game of chance.
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Whilst in the past some land-based wooden Roulette wheels would develop what’s known as a bias – allowing players who monitored the games over a long period of time to develop an edge, this is no longer possible, as wheels are made out of stronger materials and are constantly monitored against an industry standard – being replaced frequently.
This means that playing both online and at a land-based casino is equally as fair, fun and unpredictable. Will you be trying your chances at Roulette now that you know exactly how it works?
