Ever since the first Roulette wheel was constructed in the 17th century, it has been one of the casino favorites, praised with the title of ‘the King of all casino games.’ We will not go into one of the hoax strategies on how to beat this king but have instead decided to present you with a few little-known roulette-related facts. Read on for more.

Fun Facts and Myths About Roulette

It is not that hard to understand the appeal of this game. Its rules are by far the easiest to understand, however, many different superstitions have crept into the principles of this game and caused many irrational playing habits. These myths have affected the modern culture and have even persuaded players from all parts of the world that they can affect the final outcome of every spin. So let’s get into some of these myths and exciting facts and try to either confirm or debunk them as deserved.

The Devil’s Game

This is a common nickname that players have been using to justify their inability to predict the game outcome. According to players, they tend to feel as if they are dancing with the Devil himself. Obviously, it has nothing to do with dark, evil forces and has a somewhat rational explanation. In both versions of this game, if you decide to add up all the available pockets on the wheel, you will find that there are 666 spots in total, or more commonly known — the number of the beast! It may seem like the right cue for the Iron Maiden track, but let’s be clear, there are no dark forces at work here.

17 — The Luckiest Number

This exciting game took a huge part in Ian Fleming’s James Bond series, bringing enormous excitement and anticipation to the plot while enhancing Bond’s high-class persona. During the Bond series, the number 17 seemed to be the number that brought 007 luck and victory. Namely, fans from all around the world began using this number for every spin, probably assuming that it would bring them that same amount of luck as it did Bond. However, the actual reason behind this superstition is rather simple and more logical. Players tend to choose this number for its location — the center of the roulette table. Either way, no matter what you believe in and for what reason, rest assured that every single spot on the roulette wheel will offer you the same chances of winning.

The Odds in the US and Europe

Even though there is a French version to this game, two of the most commonly known versions are the American and the European one. The main difference between these two is the zero slot. If you decide to play the American table, you will be able to find both a zero and a double zero slot, while the European offers only one.

This difference seems minor, but actually, it makes a huge difference, especially when it comes to the house edge. The double zero slots in the American version almost double the house edge when compared to the European table. Also, if the ball lands on one of the spots reserved for a zero, then all even money bets go to the house.

So if you are not able to enjoy the French version of this game, the European table should be your preferred choice. Or maybe try visiting the famous California roulette where you would need to use cards in order to pick the numbers, instead of slots. This version was invented as an adjustment to the peculiar gambling laws of California and has become popular since then.

Red or Black

As we all know, roulette has 36 spots for the numbers from 1–36 and depending on the variant, it can have one or two zero pockets. This game is fairly easy to win at since it provides you with the opportunity to make a huge number of bets, some of which even offer you around 50% chances of hitting the right slot. However, a lot of people tend to fall for the classic superstition, thinking that they can affect that final outcome and that the odds are not evenly split. In fact, the chances that you will be able to get the same color for ten consecutive times come to 1 in 1024.  The only known record of something like this happening was in Bristol, where an anonymous woman hit red 36 times in a row. No betting strategy can or will assure you’ll win, thus avoiding the house edge. So you should avoid using Martingale, D’Alembert, Fibonacci, or Paroli strategies since none of these have been conclusively proven to work.

Final Thoughts

The number of people who prefer this exciting game is growing bigger and bigger each day, so it is only a matter of time before a new superstition or a compelling roulette story comes up. This deceptively simple game brings a lot of excitement and uncertainty, and it has won the world. It became simply impossible to visit a casino venue without at least a dozen of roulette wheels.

Still, remaining a game of chance, it will continue to intrigue players and spark all kinds of superstitions and myths for years to come. So if you plan on beating the odds on the wheel anytime soon, remember Einstein’s words: ‘You cannot beat a roulette table unless you steal money from it!’