Roulette

Predecessors

The use of a pocketed wheel and a ball for gaming dates back to about the year 1700, when a game called Hoca became popular in casinos on the continent of Europe. In England a game called E.O. was played in which, instead of numbered compartments, all the pockets were lettered E or O (for even or odd). A game more similar to modern Roulette was developed in Europe in the eighteenth century. Called Boule, and still played today, it consists of a stationary wheel set in a bowl around which a ball is rolled. There are eighteen pockets numbered 1 to 9, two pockets for each number. Gamblers can back any number to win (and be paid 7 to 1 if successful), or back various groups of four numbers at even money. The number 5 is always a loser on these even-money bets. The bank thus can expect to retain more than 11 per cent of all money staked, a much worse proposition for the gambler than playing Roulette.

The basic equipment for roulette consists of the wheel and ball, and the table on which the bets are made. The wheel used in the onte Carlo casino (Figure 1) has 37 pockets, numbered 1-36 and 0 (zero). The pockets are alternately red and black, except the zero pocket, which is green. The numbers are arranged so that the high and low numbers, and the odd and even numbers also alternate as far as possible. In American casinos, the wheel is different (Figure 2). It has an additional zero pocket, numbered 00. As will be seen later, the effect of this extra pocket is to make betting on roulette much less attractive in American casinos than elsewhere, where a single zero is used. The arrangement of the numbers is different on the American wheel, although the eighteen red numbers on the Monte Carlo wheel are also red on the American wheel.

The table is of green baize cloth, marked in red, black and gold, although again the conventional layout differs in Monte Carlo and America. The layout of the table has no effect on the game, and indeed in Britain, where the Monte Carlo wheel is used, the table found in many casinos will be of the American pattern (but without the 00 space). The Monte Carlo table is illustrated in Figure 3 and the American table in Figure 4. The table in casinos might be double-ended, i.e. there will be a staking layout each side of the wheel, the zero being closest to the wheel at each end. The double-ended table allows more players to make bets in comfort.

In a casino, roulette will be operated by croupiers, who will spin the wheel, rake in losing bets and pay out the winners. Bets will be made with the casino chips, which will usually be of a different colour for each player. When a game is in full swing, the wheel will be spun approximately every two minutes. Soon after setting the wheel and ball in motion the croupier will call 'Rien ne va plus', and no more bets may be made on that spin. The French language is traditionally used in describing Roulette, although in English-speaking countries, and particularly America, this custom might not be observed, and 'Rien ne va plus' becomes 'No more bets'. The bets allowed fall into two categories, the even-money bets, and those offering other odds.

The even-money bets are as follows:
Rouge, which is a bet that a red number will win
Noir, which is a bet that a black number will win
Pair, which is a bet that an even number will win
Impair, which is a bet that an odd number will win
Manque, which is a bet that a low number, 1-18, will win
Passe, which is a bet that a high number, 19-36, will win.

The stake is placed on the appropriate place on the table layout. A player making a successful bet on one of these combinations will win an amount equal to his stake. An important difference between European and American casinos arises regarding these bets. In most European casinos, should zero turn up, the stake is not automatically lost. It is put 'in prison', and remains on the table for another spin. Should the bet win on the second spin, the player is allowed to retain his stake, but does not collect any winnings. This is equivalent to the player losing half his stake should zero turn up, and in some casinos he may be allowed to withdraw half his stake and forfeit half. In American casinos, the bet will automatically be lost should zero or double-zero win. This convention puts the American gambler at a considerable disadvantage compared to the European gambler. The other bets are as follows:

En plein (straight). This is a bet on a single number, and the stake is placed on the number on the table. It is allowable to bet on zero, and, on the American wheel, the double-zero. The odds paid are 35-1. The American gambler is still at a disadvantage since, whereas the true odds are 36-1 on the European wheel, they are 37-1 on the American wheel, there being an extra pocket. The same disadvantage applies to the remaining bets.

A cheval (split). This is a bet on two adjacent numbers on the table layout (not adjacent numbers on the wheel), and the stake is placed on the line between the two numbers. Zero or double-zero can be combined with a number adjacent to it. The odds paid are 17-1.

Transversale pleine (street). This is a bet on any three numbers in a horizontal line on the table, such as 22, 23, 24. The stake is placed on the outer line of the row. Zero or double-zero may be combined with any two adjacent numbers by placing the stake on the corner common to the three numbers. The odds paid are 11-1.

En carré (square). This is a bet on a block of four numbers forming a square on the table, such as 13, 14, 16, 17. The stake is placed on the corner common to all four numbers. Zero in Europe can be backed in conjunction with 1, 2, 3 by placing the stake on the outside corner common to the zero and the row 1, 2, 3. The odds paid are 8-1.

Transversale simple or sixaine (line). This is a bet on six numbers comprising two horizontal rows, such as 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36. The stake is placed on the outer corner common to the two rows. It is impossible to include the zero or double-zero in a transversale simple. The odds paid are 5-1.

Colonne (column). This is a bet on one of the three vertical columns of twelve numbers on the table. The stake is placed in the blank box at the foot of the column on the Monte Carlo table. On the American table (Figure 4) the three columns are marked '2-1', and these are the odds paid.

Colonne à cheval (split column). This is a bet on two adjacent columns, the stake being placed on the line between the two boxes at the foot of each. The odds paid are 2-1 on, or 1-2.

Douzaine (dozen). This is also a bet on twelve numbers. The alternatives are the low numbers, 1-12, the middle numbers, 13-24 or the high numbers, 25-36. The stake is placed on the Monte Carlo table on P (première) for 1-12, on M (moyenne) for 13-24, or D (dernière) for 25-36. On the American table, the stake is placed on 1st Dozen, 2nd Dozen or 3rd Dozen respectively. The odds paid are 2-1.

Douzaine à cheval (split dozen). This is a bet on any two adjacent dozens, the stake being placed on the line between the appropriate two boxes on the table. The odds paid are 2-1 on, or 1-2.

In the casino game, the odds offered for each bet ensure an advantage to the casino. Where a wheel with one zero is used, and bets on even-money chances are placed in prison when zero wins, as in Europe, the casino will expect, in the long run, to win 1·35 per cent of all money staked on even money bets, and 2·7 per cent on all other bets. In American casinos, with a wheel with two zeros, and no 'in prison' rule, the casino will expect to win 5·26 per cent of all stakes. The casino will impose a minimum and maximum stake for all bets.

When roulette is played privately, the bets and odds are exactly the same as in the casino game. This means that, in most cases, the bank will show a profit at the end of the session. It may be that the host, or the supplier of the equipment, will take on the role of the bank, in which case he will expect to win. However, it is possible for all players to share the bank, thus giving each an equal chance of winning or losing.

The way to do this is for each player to contribute an equal amount before play begins to the bank. The total sum contributed forms the bank's capital. At the end of the game the money remaining in the bank is divided equally among the players. Since the bank expects to win, this will usually be more than the amount contributed.

It may be, of course, that not every player will wish to share in the bank. In this case, players may have unequal shares in the bank. For ease of calculation let us say there are ten players. Fix the bank's capital as 1,000 units (which might be £10 or £100, or $1,000), and offer each player 100 units. Say, only six players wish to have a share in the bank, and all take 100 shares. This leaves 400 shares over. If all six players would like further shares in the bank, then lots may be drawn to decide which four may purchase a second hundred shares. The total of 1,000 shares, and the lots of 100 per player, are suggested so that the ultimate sharing-out of the bank's capital becomes easier. For example, if the capital in the bank at the end of the game is 4,200 units, each holder of 100 shares receives 420 units in the share-out. Another system is to allow each player to buy as many shares as he likes, up to a maximum. The only disadvantage is that if the total shares taken are, say, 730, the final sharing-out will involve awkward fractions.

If during the course of the game the bank runs out of capital, then the players holding shares must replenish it by the same amount as their original shares.

As in the casino game, minimum and maximum stakes should be set. The following table suggests minima and maxima in units.

The game would operate more conveniently if counters were used as stakes rather than currency. Four colours might be used, to represent one, two, five and ten units. There should be a good supply of counters, so that players running out during the game may purchase more. All money collected for counters, including those forming the bank should be kept to one side. At the end of the game, when the counters in the bank have been distributed among the shareholders, all players cash in their counters.

It is an advantage if one member of the party, instead of playing, acts as banker and croupier. If the party plays regularly, the banker might be decided by rotation. Should nobody be willing to perform this task, then one of the players may look after the bank, but he must be careful to keep his own capital and the bank's separate. If the banker plays, the game will be slowed down.

A fixed period of play should be agreed beforehand. This prevents embarrassment should some players wish to stop when others wish to continue. If about four hours is agreed for the session, then it might be divided into two halves of 50 spins each, with an interval for refreshment. The host should prepare a ruled sheet of paper with 100 lines numbered 1-50 and 51-100, with three columns for each line. After each spin he should enter in the columns the winning number, the colour, and whether it is odd or even. This will ensure that the agreed number of spins are made, and it will enable system players to check the sequences. If the players wish it, three additional columns might be added to indicate whether the winning number is high or low or in which column or dozen it is contained. It is because the croupier has to spin the wheel, settle the bets, keep the chart and generally see that the game proceeds properly, that it is advised that he should not play himself.

For games players who prefer their fortunes to depend on skill, or skill allied to chance, rather than on chance alone, the pleasure of roulette comes from an appreciation of staking systems, and the invention or choice of a plan and putting it into operation.

It is impossible, of course, to devise a system that will guarantee to win. On every bet made at roulette, the bank enjoys an advantage of at least 1·35 per cent, and no clever manipulation of numbers is going to alter that. The best known and simplest of all staking systems is the martingale, or 'doubling-up' system. It is used on the even-money bets, as listed above. The player stakes one chip on, say, red. If it loses he doubles his stake and his next bet is two chips. Another loss and he stakes four chips. Eventually, he will win, and when he does his win will equal all his previous losses plus one chip. Since ultimately a win is a certainty, the system cannot lose. However, the 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 progression very rapidly reaches large numbers. After ten successive losses, the player has already lost 1023 chips and must stake 1024 on the next spin. Red once came up 28 times running at Monte Carlo, so even a Rockefeller, had he been backing black, would have needed to send for more funds. In practice, of course, a run of losers soon necessitates a stake above the maximum allowed, so the martingale is unworkable.

The system is more fun played in reverse. Instead of doubling losing stakes, winnings can be left on the table to double, and will mount as quickly as the stake does in the martingale system. If it is decided to collect the winnings only after eight successive wins, the number of chips taken will be 256. And as the stake is never more than one chip, it will take a long time to pay back 256 chips.

Another popular system is to increase the stake by a chip after a loss, and to decrease it by one after a win. The idea, as with the martingale, is to have the larger stakes on the winners, and if winners and losers alternate there will be one chip more on each winner than each loser. Unfortunately sequences are never as neat as that, but the system has the merit of keeping stakes within reasonable limits.

There are fewer systems for backing single numbers, and they usually rely on the fallacious 'law of averages'. The most popular is backing 'sleepers', which are numbers that have not won for some time and are consequently considered 'due'. A number can be expected to win, on a 37 number wheel, once in 37 spins on average. The systémier waits until a number has not appeared for 111 spins (3 x 37), and then backs it 37 times with a single stake, then increases the stake to two chips, and after a further 37 spins to three chips. The theory is that numbers rarely sleep for as many as 222 spins, but it will be noticed that the system does not necessarily show a profit when the expected win comes. In any case, the system is based on the premise that past results will affect future ones, which on a fair wheel is clearly erroneous.

A more valid system, perhaps the most interesting of all, is another based on the even chances, the 'cancelling-out' system. The player begins by writing down a short series of numbers, say, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 2, 2, 2 or 1, 1, 2, 2. He backs one of the even money chances, and his first stake is the sum of the two outside numbers of his series. Were the series 1, 1, 2, 2, his first stake would be 1 + 2 = 3. Should he win, he cancels the two outside numbers, leaving his series as 1, 2. His stake is therefore again 3, and, should he win again, his whole series is cancelled, and he is six units to the good. Should his second bet lose, he adds the losing stake, 3, to his series, which becomes 1, 2, 3 and his next stake is again the sum of the outside terms, in this case 1 + 3 = 4. The beauty of the system is that every time the player wins, he cancels two numbers in his series, and every time he loses he adds only one, so that his series will always ultimately be cancelled out. And every time it is, he will win the sum of the numbers in his series — in the example followed, six units. The system's only drawback is that when a long adverse sequence occurs, the stake can mount quickly.

The variety of roulette bets allows the player to invent systems as simple or complicated as he pleases. It will be noticed, for instance, that the third column on the roulette table contains eight red numbers and only four black. Suppose the player backs this column at odds of 2-1. He can expect to lose roughly twice for every win, but he can hedge his bet by also backing black. If his column bet wins, he must win at least one chip overall, perhaps three. When his column bet loses, his bet on black stands a better than even chance of saving his total stake, because there are 14 possible black winners in the first two columns to only ten reds. The backer has 26 of the 37 numbers on his side. It sounds an attractive plan, but it is a snare. The column bet will lose one chip in 37 to the bank, the bet on black one chip in 74, and there is no way of adding the two losses together to make a win.

Although the advantage in Roulette must always be with the bank, the game is an enjoyable way to lose money, and serious students get their pleasure from the never-ending search for a plan that offers the promise of a good win with minimal losses.

From 'The Illustrated Book of Table Games' ISBN 0 600 34870 9
© The Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd 1975

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