The history and evolution of the roulette game

Roulette is one of the most popular casino games world wide and commonly played with three different versions, yet the game has evolved from its beginnings in 17th century France. Mathematician Blaise Pascal developed the game and the earliest wheel which contained the numbers 1 through 36. Originally there was no zero and it remained that way for nearly 150 years until the game was introduced on the North American continent in the early 1800s. As the game became increasingly popular, two pockets were added to the wheel representing zeros. This was simply to increase the house odds. Not long thereafter, two Frenchmen altered the French wheel with the addition of a zero for the very same reason of increasing house odds. For nearly 200 years, roulette has continued to be revered as royalty in American and European casinos, where both continents enjoy similar yet slightly different variations of the game.

The French version which has commonly become known as the European
version is still presently played similarly to its original predecessor. In traditional roulette, the wheel was figuratively sliced into pieces representing a number series that could be wagered upon. Voisins (Neighbors) represented all numbers between and including 22 and 25. Tiers (The third) represented the opposite side of the wheel: all numbers between and including 27 and 33. And finally the left-overs were known as Orphelins (Orphans) and split sides of the wheel between and including pockets 1 through 9 and across the wheel, pockets 17, 34 and 6. These represented the original called bets and were added to the original oval table in French roulette. Red and black have always been the traditional colors of the wheel and have remained so for nearly 350 years.

You can still find a few traditional games in Europe, but the most popular version of roulette has quickly become the meld of European and American roulette in which the table is American inspired and the wheel follows the lead of the European continent, offering a single zero. All versions can be found and enjoyed the world over. Roulette is often considered the King of all casino games and as it has changed the least and lasted a true test of time, it is a royal
title deserved.