Everyone has an idea of roulette. In fact, here’s a test that’ll prove that theory: close your eyes and imagine a roulette table, or perhaps even people playing roulette. You could do it, couldn’t you?
👀 Roulette is woven into the fabric of society and remains one of the world’s most popular casino games. That part is obvious. What’s not so obvious is that roulette has a long and celebrated history and, of all the common casino games, is probably the one with the most fascinating aura.
Let’s take a look at some things you (probably) didn’t know about this all-time classic game.
Table of contents
It was invented by accident
Most people would argue against trying to develop a perpetual motion machine, since, thanks to those pesky laws of physics, it’s deemed to be impossible. But there’s a quote about shooting for the moon and maybe landing among the stars, and that was certainly what happened when French mathematician Blaise Pascal tried to invent such a device.
He failed, as all physicists knew he would, but he did inadvertently invent the roulette wheel. That was way back in 1655, and, in the years that followed, someone had the bright idea to add numbers to the machine and invent a game called roulette.
We should note that while Blaise Pascal failed in this particular endeavour, he is still credited as one of humanity’s all-time brightest minds.
Or maybe it has an ancient history?
The Blaise Pascal story is the most commonly accepted version of the game’s history, though there are other stories out there, too.
Some historians believe that the game is based on an old Chinese game, while others think it stems from a game soldiers used to play in Ancient Rome.
But — we’re sorry to burst anyone’s bubble — there’s not all that much evidence for those theories, so most people stick with the Pascal version of events.
The modern game has been on quite the journey
If you thought that the journey from a scientist's basement to one of the world’s most popular games would be quite the journey, you were right.
👉 In the decades that followed Pascal’s failed experiment (sorry, Pascal), the game worked its way through France and grew ever more popular.
It ended up becoming a big draw in the famous casinos of Monaco, before eventually making its way across the pond to French-connected New Orleans.
The game is different in different parts of the world
All roulette tables look broadly the same, but the game differs depending on where you play it. In Europe, there are 36 numbers and a single 0 pocket. In the United States, there are 36 numbers, a 0, and a 00 pocket.
Online casinos such as PokerStars Casino offer both versions of the game, allowing players to choose their preferred style.
However, if you’re a European visiting the United States (or an American visiting Europe) and you decide to play in person, note that this subtle distinction will be present.
It’s still going strong
As we’ve established, roulette has a long history — but it’s not just a game that people of the past enjoyed playing.
It’s just as popular, if not more so, today. It’s the 4th most played game in land casinos, and it’s probably even higher among online casinos.
The development of technology that allows for more immersive online play means that it’s likely to continue growing in popularity in the coming decades, too.
No special skills are required
If you’ve ever played roulette, then you’ll already know this. Why is the game so widely played? Because no special skills are required. In fact, you don’t have to do anything other than predict where you think the ball will land.
The only barrier to entry was, historically, the lack of a nearby roulette table, but thanks to the online world, that’s no longer an issue.
And there you have it — six things you didn’t know about roulette, but now very much do.
