21st century roulette: a new way to play, the digital way
The most popular roulette table game in casinos today is played on a table with a house dealer, a wheel with 38 pockets, 18 red, 18 black and 2 green that contain the numbers zero and double zero. A single zero wheel also exists and is popular in European casinos. The table has a felt betting design with numbers and colors corresponding to the wheel.
Let us first consider how the casino edge (house edge) is calculated. The popular double zero wheel has 38 numbered positions including:
0, 00 and 1 to 36. The payout for a single number won is 35 to 1. Assume there are 38 $1.00 chip bets on all numbers. The casino will collect 37 losing bets and pay the winner 35 chips. The casino keeps a profit of $2.00, so 2/38 = 5.26%.
Basic Roulette Table
These are the combinations of bets that players can make on the basic table:
has) straight – Token(s) placed on a single number. Example: #17. A winning payout is 35 to 1.
b) split bets – A bet of two vertical or horizontal numbers. Example: Chip(s) placed on the line between 5 and 8. Pays 17 to 1 if either number wins.
against) street betting – A bet on three consecutive numbers. Example: Chips placed on a bottom row number line, such as 19, will cover 19-21. The payout is 11 to 1 for the win.
d) corner bets – A bet on four numbers. Example: Chip(s) placed in the corner of the intersection of 25, 26, 28 and 29. The winning payout is 8 to 1.
me) line bets – A bet on six consecutive numbers. Example: Chips placed on a line between two numbers at the bottom, like 31 and 34, will cover 31 – 36, the payout is 5 to 1 for the win.
The above examples are known as inside bets. There are other betting options on the felt called outside bets with more desirable odds but less desirable payouts. Is it so:
column bet – Bet on twelve numbers in a column such as 1 – 34. The winning payout is 2 to 1.
Dozen Bet – Bet on the first twelve, the second twelve or the third twelve. The winning payout is 2 to 1.
red or black – A bet on any color. A winning payout is even money at 1 to 1.
Even or odd – A win also pays even money.
1-18 or 19-36 – Pay even money for the win.
21st century roulette
Enter the 21st century and technology has added some competition with virtual reality. Three variations are currently available:
fast roulette
Electronic Roulette
video roulette
fast roulette
The Rapid Roulette jackpot has a live dealer and wheel surrounded by twelve player stations, each with a video screen containing a virtual table. Players have the option to select their own virtual chip denomination and can change its value at any time. The increment amounts are: $.50; $1.00; $2.00; $5.00; $25.00 and $100. The minimum bet is five dollars. All purchases and withdrawals are handled by the dealer. Once you purchase your credits, select your chip amount. When the screen displays “place your bets”, you will have exactly 40 seconds to “touch the screen” of your wages on the virtual table. If you make a mistake, you can erase and reset or drag the chips to the desired position with your finger. The dealer then spins the ball. All wins and losses are instantly settled on the credit meter.
An interesting feature is the “neighbors” bet. For example, if you bet on the number 8, press the neighbors tab and the two numbers on either side of the number 8 on the wheel will bet on you. Your bet will cover the numbers 8, 12, 19, 29 and 31. The winning payouts are the same as table roulette.
Electronic Roulette
The Electronic Roulette cell has eight player stations with video screens containing betting options similar to those of Fast Roulette. The minimum bet is two dollars. Virtual chip values are: $1.00, $5.00, $20.00, $50.00, $100. Each unit has a bill acceptor for credit purchases and a slot for your player card.
In the center, there is a real wheel, which rotates continuously. Once the simple “place your bets” appears on the screen, players have exactly 50 seconds to place their bets via the touch screen. When the time expires, a small ball is catapulted on the wheel. After the ball lands on a number, credits are automatically added or subtracted from all players’ stations. A withdraw button will deliver the ticket when players are ready to continue.
video roulette
This option has a virtual display of the wheel and table, in a unit similar to a slot machine. You can bet for as little as five cents and play at your own pace. Various amounts can be gradually increased up to ten times by tapping the screen to bet and then pressing spin when ready. Although this seems convenient, there is a price paid for the benefit. All winning payout amounts are reduced. For example, if you play at the quarter level, the winning payout is 34 to 1 instead of the traditional 35 to 1. This return doubles the house edge to 10.53%. Playing at the five hundred or ten hundred level, the payout is 32 to 1. The house edge is now 15.8%. This is the price you pay for betting small and slow.
Good luck with whatever game you choose!
