Casino Roulette

TABLE AND LAYOUT
he novice player, the layout looks formidable, but the game is really quite easy to learn. The main section is composed of 36 red and black boxes numbered in sequence from top to bottom and arranged in three columns of 12 spaces each. At the head of the columns, numbered 1, 2, and 3, are two more oddly shaped green spaces for the zeros. At the foot of these columns are three spaces marked "2 to 1." A bet placed in one of these indicates you are betting on all the numbers in the column above. Directly along the front side of the columns are three boxes marked "1st 12," "2nd 12," and "3rd 12." A bet placed in the first of these indicates you are betting on all the numbers 1 through 12, a bet in the second would cover 13 through 24, and in the third it would cover 25 through 36. Just in front of these three are six more spots for wagers on numbers 1 through 18, all even numbers, all red spots, all black spots, all odd numbers, and the numbers 19 through 36.

You must be careful that your chips are placed precisely where you want to bet. If you can't reach a spot, slide your chips toward the dealer and tell him where to place them.

Casino Roulette Wheel
The game of roulette is based on a random choice of one of 38 numbers selected through the use of a wheel made up of a stationary 32-inch bowl which contains a precisely balanced rotating 24-inch center section called a wheel head. The ball is spun by the dealer in a clockwise direction around the outer rim of the bowl, and after circling a number of times, the whirling ball slowly drops down toward the center, frequently being randomly deflected by brass projections embedded in the rim. As it reaches the wheel head, which is turning in the opposite direction, the ball bounces around a number of times among the vertical partitions that separate the 38 numbered red, black, and green pockets before it finally settles in one of them, thereby selecting the winning number and color.

The 38 pockets, which are alternately colored red and black except for the green zeros, appear to be numbered in a random fashion, but that is not the case. As far as possible, high and low as well as odd and even numbers are alternately spaced in a mathematically balanced pattern. The single zero and the double zero are directly opposite each other, and 1 is opposite 2, 3 is opposite 4 and so forth. The numbers and colors on the wheel correspond to the numbers and colors on the layout. Understanding this, all you need now is an explanation of the various combinations of possible bets and their odds.

With only eleven possible wagers divided into just two types, betting rules are easily learned. First, let's consider the six inside bets on the numbers or combinations of numbers.

STRAIGHT-UP BET— Single Number
To make the single-number inside bet, simply place your chips in any one of the 38 number boxes, including the zeros, being careful that your bet does not touch any line. If the ball lands in the corresponding numbered pocket on the next spin, you win and the bank pays off at 35 to 1. Remember that your original bet stays on the layout and rides on the next spin unless you pick it up. True odds would have been 37 to 1; consequently, the house advantage is 5.26%. This edge is constant for all bets in the double-zero game, with the exception of the five-number bet covered below. When you find a single-zero game, the casino edge is reduced to 2.70%.

SPLIT BET—Two Numbers
If you want to bet on either of two adjoining numbers on the layout, put your wager directly on the line separating them. If one wins, you are paid off at 17 to 1. There are 62 possible two-number bets.

THREE-NUMBER BET
For a three-number bet, set your chip or chips on the line at the end of any of the twelve rows of three numbers; at the junction of the 0, 00, and 2 boxes; the 0, 1, and 2 boxes; or the 00, 2, and 3 boxes. This adds up to fifteen available three-number bets, and the payoff is 11 to 1.

CORNER BET—Four Numbers
A chip placed at the intersection of any four numbers is called a corner bet. There are 22 of these, and if any one of the four numbers comes up, you are paid 8 to 1.

FIVE-NUMBER BET
The only possible five-number bet is on the line between the zeros and 1, 2, and 3 at the intersection with the 1st-12 box. Of course, this bet is not available in a single-zero game. In the double-zero game, it's the worst bet on the table, paying 6 to 1 with the casino advantage jumping to 7.89%.

SIX-NUMBER BET
You can make a six-number bet on the junction formed by the line dividing any two rows of three numbers where it intersects with the Dozen box. The bank pays 5 to 1 if
you bet on one of these eleven combinations and any one of the six numbers is spun.

Next we'll explore the five outside bets, covering several groups of numbers, even-odd, and red-black, all spread over twelve betting boxes. These wagers still carry the same house edge of 5.26% for the double-zero game, and your original bet still is left on the layout after a win.

When you place a bet in one of the three boxes at the bottom of the number columns, you are betting on all the numbers above it; if successful, you'll be paid at the 2-to-l rate printed in these spots.

DOZENS
To wager on the first, second, or third dozen numbers, put your chips in one of the appropriate boxes. If any one of the twelve numbers within the dozen you've selected shows up, the bank also pays 2 to 1.

LOW AND HIGH NUMBERS
For a bet on all the eighteen low numbers or all the eighteen high numbers, merely set some chips in one of these two boxes to get even money if you win.

EVEN-ODD
Chips placed in either the Even or the Odd box cover all the eighteen corresponding numbers, and winners are again paid even money.

RED-BLACK
To make a bet on all the Red or Black numbers, set some chips in the designated box for another possible even-money payoff.

MATHEMATICS OF CASINO ROULETTE
The mathematics of roulette are easily learned. On the double-zero wheel with 38 positions, the player should be able to pick the winning number an average of once every 38 spins. Although the odds are 37 to 1 that you will select the right number in one spin, the payoff odds are only 35 to 1, and the casino edge derived from this difference of two units is 2/38, or 5.26%.

If you place a single bet on two numbers, you are in effect betting half on each number, and in the long run 38 spins of the wheel will produce two wins as compared to 36 losses. Therefore, true odds are 36 to 2, or 18 to 1, and as the casino pays 17 to 1, or 34 to 2, the house again comes up with the same two-unit-average advantage. The arithmetic is similar for all the inside bets except the five-number wager.

Unless surrender or en prison is offered, the outside even payoff wagers are not better. If you bet on the 18 red or 18 black numbers, the 18 even or 18 odd numbers, or the 18 high or 18 low numbers, you have 18 chances to win but the green zeros must be added to give you 20 chances to lose, and the house still ends up with a two-unit edge. With the three columns, and the three dozen bets, you have 12 ways to win, and including the zeros there are 26 ways to lose. The odds are 26 to 12 against you, but the payoff is only 2 to 1, or 24 to 12, once again yielding the casino the identical two units. Continuing with this formula, we arrive at the following chart,

Exhibit 5:
Casino Advantage at Roulette, Double Zero

SURRENDER
The New Jersey Control Commission Rules of the Games state, "If the roulette ball comes to rest around the wheel in a compartment marked zero (0) or double zero (00), wagers on red, black, odd, even, 1 to 18, and 19 to 36 shall not be lost, but each player having such a wager shall surrender half the amount on such bet and remove the remaining half." This rule cuts the casino advantage in half, from 5.26% to 2.63% on all the even money bets, giving the same result as the European en prison rule, where the outcome on all even-money bets after the appearance of a zero is determined by the following spin. Atlantic City casinos are the only gambling houses in the United States offering the gaming public this feature, although I'm not sure if "offering" is the best word, since the state law requires it.

SINGLE-ZERO GAME
An even better game being offered at the Playboy Casino features Casino Roulette with a single zero. Unfortunately, the surrender rule does not apply, but even so, the casino advantage is reduced to 2.70%, not just for even-money bets but for all wagers, inside and outside. True, the game is not as favorable as correct play at blackjack or the line bets in craps, but for the gamer who likes to play casino roulette, it's acceptable. The only thing I can't understand is why anyone in Atlantic City but the even-money-bet players would patronize the double-zero wheels.

Now that you are familiar with the rules and procedure of the game, and understand how to bet with the very least disadvantage, you must consider that in the long run your hourly cost will be a little more than 2 lfa percent of the average total amount of money you place on the table in an hour in Atlantic City. Only you can decide how much you are willing to pay for the pleasure of playing this exciting game. Of course, with intelligent money management you can control your losses. And who knows? You may come up a big winner.