American Roulette Wheel

Anyone who knows anything about the game of roulette knows that there are two main versions of this game. The most popular version around the world is the European version and it is also the one that is played the most. The other version is the American version, which is very popular in the United States. In fact, most of the American roulette wheels that are played are located in the United States. So lets take a few moments and talk about the American version and its main features.

The American roulette wheel is a variation of the original version of roulette that was invented in the nineteenth century by Louis and Francois Blanc.

In the beginning it very much resembled the European version, but over the past two years several distinctive changes have been made to it. A major change that was made to the American roulette wheel was the addition of the double zero, which is absent from the European wheel. This was done to improve the advantage of the house and make it harder for players to beat. And this strategy has worked remarkable well for the American version. European roulette has a house advantage of 2.25% and the house advantage on the American roulette wheel is about 5.73%. Evidently the addition of the extra zero on this version has indeed improved the house’s advantage.

American roulette also has a standardized method of operation that can be very unique. If your curious how the American roulette wheel is played then let me break it down for you. Game-play usually starts with the players taking their seats at the table. Only players are allowed to be seated at the American table, so if your not playing then you can be there. After the players have taken their seats then they can start placing their bets on the table. When all the bets have been placed on the table then the dealer starts the ball around the wheel. The ball moves in a counter-clockwise direction around the spinning American roulette wheel and eventually drops in a slot. The winners are then paid and the wheel is set into motion again, because an American roulette wheel has to remain spinning all the time, even between bets.

When playing the American roulette wheel, players need to keep in mind the specific bets that are available to them. There are two different categories of bets, the inside bet and the outside bet. The inside bets consist of the straight bet, the split bet, the square bet, the basket bet, six-line bet and the street bet. The payouts on these bets vary among them and range from thirty-seven to one on the straight bet to a five to one payout on the six-line bet. The outside bets consist of the following: the column bet (payout of two to one), the dozen bet (payout of two to one), and the even money bet. The even money bet consists of betting on any of the following: red/black, even/odd and high/low. As is suggested by the name, the even money bet has a payout of one to one.

Now that you are familiar with the American roulette wheel you can know search for one in your area. If there aren’t any in your geographical area, or you don’t live near a casino, then you can always find a variety of American roulette wheels on the internet. While this version of roulette doesn’t have favorable house odds as compared to the European version, it is my personal favorite to play. I feel that this version of the game is more exciting and a whole lot faster then the European version.