There are two main variations when it comes to roulette. One is European roulette, and the other – the one we’re focusing on today – is American roulette. The two types of roulette are actually very similar, but one is played more in the USA, and the other is played more in Europe, as the names suggest. In the UK, there is a split between the two, but European roulette seems to be just slightly more played than its American counterpart – discover and play roulette wheel games.
The Main Difference
Where the game is played is not the only difference between the two types of roulette. In fact, this isn’t even the main difference. The main difference is that in American roulette there are 38 pockets or divisions on the wheel, and in European roulette there are 37. The extra pocket comes from the double zero (00) which American roulette has on top of the numbers 0 to 36 that European roulette has.
These numbers are alternately red and black, except for the zeros, which are green.
The Aim Of The Game
The aim of American roulette is to accurately predict which pocket a small ball is going to land in after it finishes spinning around the roulette wheel. The croupier will turn the wheel one way and the ball will be spun the other way, and when it lands, the winner – if there is one – will take their earnings.
Of course, choosing a number out of 38 possibilities is a difficult task, which is why the house edge is high in American roulette (even higher than in European roulette, since there is an additional number to factor in).
The Layout
The numbers are paid out identically around the wheel – in other words, the pockets are all the same size and there are no angles or slants to take into account. This means there is an equal chance of the ball landing in any of the 38 pockets. This is why the game is simple to play but hard to win; odds of 1 in 38 are not ideal.
The Options
Of course, you don’t have to pick just one number. You can lower the odds significantly, giving yourself an almost 50/50 change of winning, by choosing either red or black, or odd or even, instead of choosing one number. There is much more chance of you winning, but the prize will be a lot lower if you go down this route.
Having a good strategy in place and utilizing one of the many roulette betting systems that exist (such as the Martingale system, the anti-Martingale system, or the ‘bet on red’ system) will help you make your choice more easily, but as with every gambling game, you need to know when to quit and walk away.
