Questions and Answers for Roulette Players

Regardless of whether you play roulette casually, you’ve studied roulette, you play roulette together with online slots or you simply know roulette from TV and movies, you’ve probably wondered about a number of things relating to the roulette game. Roulette has a long history, with the first roulette tables dating back to the 18th century French Riviera casinos.

It would be hard to find a casino, land-based or online, that doesn’t feature roulette. It’s a fun-filled game that involves just enough skill to keep bettors engaged, but no stressful moves or decisions that keep anyone up at night.

Here are some of the interesting questions that people might have about roulette.

Prediction

Can you predict the outcome of a roulette wheel spin?

Older wheels did have physical flaws and based on those flaws, alert players or dealers were able to predict the result of the wheel’s spin. If a wheel had a certain bias, it could be determined that the likelihood of the ball landing on specific numbers was higher than that of it landing on other numbers. Based on those observations, people who placed bets on those numbers were more likely to win.

Today, roulette wheels at land-based casinos are manufactured to precise standards. They undergo regular maintenance and are subjected to testing procedures which are done on a regular basis. If the tester feels that there’s any doubt as to whether the wheel delivers random results, the wheel must be removed from service and replaced.

Roulette wheels at online casinos are operated using the RNG. That’s different from the wheel at a land-based casino which operates based on the friction between the wheel and the ball. In roulette gaming at an online casino, the game runs an animation that resembles a live-action roulette table. Regardless of what the animation looks like, the outcome of the game is determined only by the RNG. So the results here, as well, cannot be predicted.

Control

Does the dealer control the ball?

The dealer at a land-based casino does determine the exact second that he lets the ball loose into the wheel. But the myth of the dealer spinning and aiming the ball at the right moment so that he can make the ball fall into a specific pocket is impossible. At one time, there was a lot of controversy over “dealer shooting” but experts have debunked the rumors and to date, no evidence has been presented that it’s ever taken place or is even technically possible.

In online roulette, there is no dealer, just a computer program, operated, as previously stated, by a random number generator.

Can you Rig the Game of Roulette?

Can roulette be rigged?

It was never easy to cheat at roulette, but at one time, it was easier than it is today.

Next to checking the wheel yourself for wheel bias, the best thing that you can do to protect yourself against a rigged wheel is to check to make sure that the casino is licensed. If it’s a land-based casino, it should have a government license which means that government officials check the wheels on a regular basis to ensure that there is no bias.

If you’re playing at an online casino you should look at the casino site’s certifications. There are several international agencies that grant certifications to online casino sites to attest that the site’s Random Number Generator delivers fair results. The RNG is the technology that ensures that every spin of the wheel results in a random and non-predetermined result.

That’s why you should never play at an unlicensed casino, either online or on-site.

Odds

Where can I find the best odds?

As noted, the house edge is higher in American roulette than in European roulette.

Beyond that, there are two types of bets that you can play, inside bets and outside bets. So the way that you bet depends on your risk-taking strategy.

Inside bets are riskier bets, meaning that you have less of a chance to win (bets on single numbers or small groups of numbers). However, they deliver better payouts than outside bets. Outside bets are bets on larger groupings of numbers. So you have more of a chance to win, but the payouts are lower.

Roulette analysts say that you have a better chance to pick the correct color than to pick the right number. Overall, the experts suggest betting on a color, where you have the best chance to win.

Numbers

Is there a number that comes up more frequently than other numbers?

No, on neither a land-based roulette wheel or an online roulette wheel, there’s no specific number that’s “hot.” The results of the spins are random.

Of course, there’s a certain statistical volatility in random chance. You’ll always find runs of “cold” and “hot” numbers. But it’s rare for a number to come up more than a couple of times over time. Don’t waste your money on “lucky” numbers.

Similarities

Are all roulette wheels the same?

The main difference in roulette wheels is the “zero” pocket. The zero pocket is green. European roulette wheels have one zero pocket and American roulette wheels have two zero pockets. (there once was a three-zero-pocket roulette variation which was featured at the Las Vegas Sands but it’s no longer on the floor, there or anywhere else).

It’s worth noting that the American roulette wheel has a house edge of 5.26% while the European roulette wheel has a house edge of 1.35%. So your chances of achieving a win on a European wheel are significantly higher than on an American wheel.

System

Is there a roulette system that works?

There are numerous “systems” that people use to beat the roulette wheel and increase their chances to win. One system says to increase your bets after a loss while the second suggests that you multiply your bet after a win. And on and on.

In point of fact, since the result of the spin of the roulette wheel is random, there’s no “system” that gives you any better chance to succeed than any other method of betting. The question of inside bets versus outside bets is the only genuine decision that you should be making. The rest is just – random.