8 Facts About Roulette That Will Surprise You

The roulette wheel turns heads in any casino. It’s a fast-paced game that draws in novice and experienced players alike. The game continues to enthral millions of players, whether played in a physical casino or online, as it has for decades.

Roulette has been the theme in many novels, TV shows, and films. Players even employ different roulette startegies when gambling to help improve their chances of winning and mitigate unfortunate losses.

So, it is no surprise that so many facts and legends surround this game. What are they? Keep reading to find out. 

Facts and Legends About Roulette

You could be aware of certain fundamentals in roulette, like the payouts for various wagers or the distinction between American and European roulette wheels’ double- and single-zero pockets. 

You might not be aware of how fascinating roulette really is, though. Here are some entertaining roulette facts and legends to help you learn more about one of the most played casino games in the world.

1. The Ball and Wheel Spin in Different Directions

It may be a bit of useless knowledge, but did you know that the roulette ball always spins in the opposite direction to the wheel? It’s true! On right-handed tables, the ball spins clockwise while the wheel spins anti-clockwise. 

On a left-handed table, the ball spins anti-clockwise while the wheel turns clockwise. Some dealers reverse the direction that the wheel rotates every round regardless of whether they’re at a left or right-handed table. 

2. Some Dealers Can Predict Where the Ball Will Land

Well, the above statement is only half true. There are some very talented dealers who have trained so much that they can spin the ball in such a way that they know roughly where the ball will land. 

This is frowned upon by both players and casinos alike and is only helpful if the dealer conspires with players to cheat the casino. There are also many protocols to ensure this doesn’t happen, and it’s not possible in online versions.

3. Some Say Roulette is Satan’s Game

While this may seem dark and gloomy, many people know roulette as the devil’s game. No, roulette is not haunted, and there are no evil spirits that come to life when you play it. The numbers on the roulette wheel add up to equal 666.

Since 666 is the number associated with the devil, it’s only natural that some people might make this correlation. However, there is no evidence to suggest that this sum is anything but a coincidence. 

4. European and French Versions Produce More Wins Than the American Version

While it is true that the house edge on the European and French roulette versions is lower than that of the American version, the house edge does not determine who wins. The payouts for winning on any roulette version are the same.

Playing the French and European versions will give you better odds of winning, but roulette is a game based on luck, so no game produces more wins than any other unless it is played more. 

5. Betting on Black or Red Always Give You a 50% Chance of Winning

The maths doesn’t add up for this statement. This statement would be true if the wheel only had red and black numbers. However, the wheel also has green pockets, which are zero or double zero pockets. 

Since the ball could land on a green pocket, the odds of you winning when betting on either red or black drops to around 48%.

6. Roulette Terminology Is a Language of Its Own

Many games have strange terminology, but we think roulette has the most. Here are a few examples:

• The dividers between the pockets on the roulette wheel are called “frets.”
• The marker that the dealer uses to show where the ball lands is called a “dolly.”
• The dealer is called a “croupier.”
• A corner bet on a French roulette table is called a “carr.”
• A split bet in French roulette is called a “cheval.”
• When the croupier collects chips and pays out bets, the term given to the action is “mucking.”

7. Massive Bets Have Made Poker Players Famous

In 2004, a man by the name of Ashley Revell bet his entire life savings on one roulette game and somehow managed to win. Ashley left London to take the most significant risk of his life in a Las Vegas casino when he bet his entire life savings on the roulette table. 

Ashley placed £76,840 (roughly AU$146,498.53) on red after contemplating putting it on black, and to his surprise, he won £153,680 (roughly AU$292,990.92). That single stroke of luck has changed his life forever. 

8. The Most Popular Number to Bet on is 17

While 17 may be a popular number to bet on in roulette, there is no evidence that it is the singular most popular bet placed in this game. Some people believe that its popularity is due to its place on the table. 

Others believe it’s popular because it is in the centre of the wheel and therefore noticed by placers more than other numbers. Then there’s a select few that claim that the only reason this number ever became popular is because it is the bet that Sean Connery (James Bond) repeatedly played in a casino until he won. 

Roulette Basics

We want to offer you a brief tutorial on how to play roulette before we part ways with you. The aim of the game is to predict where the ball will land successfully. Players have the opportunity to place their bets before each round. 

Single-number wagers pay out more money but are much less likely to win. In contrast, outside bets increase your chance of winning while decreasing the amount of money you stand to gain. 

The wheel is spun once all wagers have been placed and any successful players receive their profits.