If someone thinks that roulette is a monotonous game, then this judgment is somewhat subjective. Today, the GBC Time team will tell you about the features of the popular variation of modern roulette – the American one.
How did the game appear?
It is generally accepted that the ancestress of American roulette was French roulette with two zeros. During the development of America, immigrants from Europe brought many popular games at that time there. Among them, there was French roulette, which was well-known among the French aristocracy, who fled from the French Revolution and found refuge in southern America. The history of this variation of roulette began in those years, but its peak among Americans fell in later years – during the second half of the 19th century when crazy money was spent by thrill-seekers in gambling. Roulette greatly contributed to this: simple rules attracted players to guess which sector of the wheel a ball would land on.
The increased popularity of roulette in the Wild West among gold miners significantly altered it. Firstly, the rules were simplified; secondly, another order of the numbers on the wheel was introduced; thirdly, the inscriptions on the playing field in French were replaced by the ones in English; fourthly, the names of inside and outside bets were simplified. In the mid-19th century, changes also affected the appearance of roulette.
However, after some time, the situation changed. The craving for easy money overshadowed the minds of those who played American variation of roulette and tried other gambling activities. Around the gambling establishments, a vicious aura of crime and abuse of the morality of a religious society was created. Thus, gambling was banned and went underground. And since playing roulette requires special equipment (a wheel and a gaming table with markings), pretty soon roulette became unprofitable for owners of closed gambling clubs who preferred card games.
In the 20th century, during the Great Depression, gambling got out of the ban. For casinos, special areas were assigned. However, the resurgent popularity of roulette quickly faded away, giving way to other gambling activities: slot machines, poker and craps.
At present, the American variation of roulette is a quite popular option at land-based gambling. Besides, you can also play American roulette online.
How do American Roulette table and wheel look like?
The wheel is divided into thirty-eight equal sectors (slots), numbered from 0, 00, 1 to 36 inclusively. The standard game wheel has numbers in random order. The numbers are placed in such a way as to achieve the necessary balance between large (in the range of 18-36) and small (from 1 to 18) numbers, as well as even, odd numbers and numbers in red, black.
An interesting fact: It is hard to imagine, but in 2012, in one of the gambling establishments in Las Vegas, the ball landed on the number 19 seven times in a row. According to probability theory, the chance of such a coincidence is 1: 3,000,000,000.
Among the features of the wheel, such things should be noted:
– alternation of red and black numbers;
– following two even numbers after two odd ones;
– each odd number is opposite the even number following it;
– all red numbers are placed opposite black;
– most of the numbers constitute a pair, between which there is another number.
Only zero and double zero are colored in green. The remaining thirty-six numbers are red and black. The numbers are on the inner circumference of the roulette wheel.
The table layout resembles European roulette but has an additional field for 00. A gambler can bet on:
– specific number;
– combination of numbers;
– even or odd, red or black numbers.
The amount of payment will depend on which bets have been selected.
American variation of roulette is held at the table where the wheel is located, as well as the playing field with numbers on it. The standard field consists of:
The inside field. It contains all the numbers that are indicated on the wheel. Every three successive numbers create a circle, vertical lines – three columns of twelve numbers in each.
The outside field. It contains special fields utilized for outside bets. Each field corresponds to either specific numbers, for example, the first dozen, or some features, for example, black numbers.
Below, you can find detailed information on diverse types of bets in roulette and its odds of winning:
What is the best American roulette strategy?
In this part, we will focus on strategies that will help you win at American variation of roulette. Experts recommended choosing one of the following strategies, which can also be practiced in the American roulette simulator, for example.
The first one consists in making only outside bets (red-black, even-odd and so on). If you guess, you certainly will not win much – your bet will only double. However, in case of failure, you will not lose much money. This strategy allows players to control the game well. You have the opportunity to understand if you are lucky today or not, and if something goes wrong – stop on time.
The second one is a fixed-bet strategy. Most roulette players utilize this strategy, often without even realizing it. Its name suggests that this strategy consists in permanent placement of only one type of bet and the same amount of money. For instance, the player comes to the casino with $ 100 in the pocket and sits down at a roulette table. The minimum bet is $ 10, so each time this person puts $ 10 on black. The player wants to have fun or double the bankroll and leave the casino with a win – so this is a great option for using a fixed-bet strategy.
The third strategy is quite risky. It involves multiple and necessarily complementary bets. Here there is an example. Focusing on previous games, you decide which outside bets you should make. Suppose you decide to bet on “red”. The next step is to choose the number only from the red ones of the roulette wheel. Suppose you choose 31. This number is in the third dozen, so you bet also on the third dozen. Thus, you make three bets. Of course, all three bets can lose. However, often, one or two of them will win. And if you are lucky, then winning three bets at once will bring you considerable profit.
The next one is going all-in. The name of this strategy is self-evident: you should always go all-in. This is an incredibly sophisticated strategy, so there is a good chance of losing in just one round. In this regard, it has the highest expected return on money among all the strategies mentioned in this article and the highest expected payoff in roulette. How does this strategy work? You place your entire bankroll at least once a round, or several times if you wish. The choice of bet type depends on the size of your initial bankroll and the desired amount of American roulette payouts.
Finally, we will mention the Martingale system. It is one of the oldest and most popular strategies among gamblers. It is quite simple: each subsequent bet is doubled, and the color on which it is placed changes.
Useful pieces of advice on how to win at American roulette
Undoubtedly, the best way to win at this variation of roulette is to utilize one of the above mentioned strategies. Therefore, you just need to choose the one that most closely matches your personal preferences and aims.
At the same time, you need to remember that these strategies are not a miracle tool for winning every time you visit a gambling establishment. Regardless of your choice of a strategy, roulette will always have a negative mathematical expectation for the player, that is, for a long distance, you will lose money. Thus, the strategies that have been mentioned will help you to enjoy the game, increase your chances of achieving your goals and minimize the impact of a negative mathematical expectation on your bankroll.
Is it possible to play American roulette for free?
At present, diverse virtual casinos provide their clients with the opportunity to play free American roulette. By choosing a demo mode, the player will be able to found out the rules and features of American roulette without risking losing money in the process. This is a great option not only for newbies but also for more experienced gamblers who have decided to try another variation of roulette with different rules. After the player learns all the details of the game, it is possible to switch to the paid version.
At most Internet gambling establishments, you can play free American roulette at any time of the day or night, and it usually has the following distinctive features:
– amazing graphics;
– the simplicity of mouse control;
– superb soundtrack;
– the ability to choose a bet;
– the opportunity to repeat desired bets.
When playing in a reliable casino, a gambler can count not only on the honesty of a gambling establishment but also on significant bonuses. For newbies, such rewards are especially enjoyable. Many casinos offer bonuses for registration, for the first deposit, for a certain amount of bets, etc. Moreover, in order to withdraw such a winning, certain conditions must be met, as a rule, it must be wagered a certain number of times.
In addition, many novices who want to play roulette online do not do this because of the opinion that it is necessary to place high bet sizes in American variation of roulette. In fact, many gaming establishments offer bets from $ 1. Moreover, the probability of winning does not depend on how much has been bet. Therefore, the American variation of roulette is an excellent choice for a player with any experience: it is enough to study the rules of the game and develop your own winning strategy. Of course, do not forget that American roulette practice at diverse gambling establishments is one of the essential factors for achieving success.
Read more: Best US Online Casinos
