2. Around The Roulette Table

The most fabulous as well as the most famous of all games of chance is undoubtedly Roulette. It has figured so heavily in fact and fiction that the very term "roulette" has become a household word in practically every civilized language. The game itself has gained acceptance in gambling casinos through­out the world, so that a knowledge of Roulette has become a "must" for every would-be patron of such establishments.

Not only that: Roulette has set a pattern for other games where betting procedure is concerned. In fact, it has set a pat­tern for every other game that is worth playing at all. The systems of wager developed in Roulette can be applied to Black­jack, Craps, or what-have-you, which makes a basic under­standing of Roulette all the more important.

There is a reason for this. Where other games lure the player by false promises of easy gain, Roulette is the only one that openly advertises the fact that the "bank" must "take" a per­centage of the money wagered in order to stay in business. That is why Roulette has always appealed to substantial cus­tomers, including such people as bankers themselves.

The regulation Roulette wheel is an elaborate contrivance which inspires confidence by its very appearance. The wheel itself measures about 2 feet across and is made of thoroughly seasoned San Domingo mahogany, veneered and inlaid with rosewood, satinwood and ebony, making it quite elegant.

At the center of the wheel is a handle which projects upward above a steel pivot on which the wheel is perfectly balanced. A simple twist of the handle and the wheel will spin. From the center, the wheel slopes downward to a circle of sections or compartments, bearing numbers from 1 to 36 inclusive, though not in regular rotation. These pockets, or slots, are colored alternately black and red.

In addition, there is a green pocket bearing the figure 0 and on many wheels, chiefly in America, there is another green slot bearing the symbol 00. These represent the percentage that goes to the "house" and, in a few rare instances, wheels are equipped with a third green slot labeled with an Eagle, boosting the house's share still more. These are not good wheels to play.

Around the outside of the numbered circle and its slots, the wheel slants upward, forming a circular track within the con­fines of a high-rimmed bowl. The spinning is done by a wheel­man known as a "croupier" who tosses a small ivory ball on the wheel, while it revolves. As the spin slackens, the ball is trapped in one of the pockets which represents the winning number.

Excluding the green Zero pocket—and the Double-Zero when used—a player has just 1 chance in 36 that the ball will arrive in a slot of his selection. Should he win, he is paid off on that basis, receiving $35 along with the $1 that he wagered—or what­ever chips or units happen to be involved in the game.

Betting at Roulette

The bets are placed in numbered squares marked on a green-cloth table, each player keeping track of his own chips. As will be seen from the accompanying diagrams, the squares are ar­ranged in three columns, headed by the numbers 1, 2, 3, fol­lowed by 4, 5, 6 and so on, which makes it very easy to locate them.

But the betting is by no means restricted to a single number with its prospective 35 to 1 payoff. A great variety of wagers are allowed, descending to an "even money" basis, which is why Roulette has become both a fascinating and popular game. These various styles of wager are quite simple when the layout itself is studied.

They consist of:

1)         A Single Number Bet, or En Plien.
This is the familiar 35 to 1, already described, when play is on a single number. Payoff: 35 to 1.
2)         A Two Number Bet, called a Cheval.
Placed on the dividing line between two numbers, this is split between the pair. Either wins, but only on a 1/2 basis. Any two adjoining numbers may be played, as 7 & 10 or 7 & 8. Payoff: 17 to 1.
3)         A Three Number Bet, or Transversale Pleine.
This covers any three numbers in a line of squares running across the layout, such as the numbers 4, 5, 6 or 19, 20, 21. The chip, or stack, is placed on either sideline of the row in ques­tion, signifying a transverse bet. Payoff: 11 to 1.
4)         A Square of Numbers, or Carre.
This covers a square of four numbers and is indicated by simply placing the stack on the connecting corner or exact center of any four squares, as 2, 3, 5, 6. Payoff: 8 to 1.
5)         A Double Row of Six Numbers, known as Transverse
Simple, or Sixaine.
This play takes in two cross rows of three squares each, mak­ing six squares in all. The two rows must adjoin each other, for example: Numbers 19, 20, 21, and 22, 23, 24. The chip is placed at one end of the dividing line between the two rows, signifying that all six numbers are covered, any one being a winner. Payoff: 5 to 1.
6)         A Column Bet of Twelve Numbers.
Here, the chips are simply stacked in the open space at the bottom of the desired column, headed by the numbers 1, 2 and 3 respectively. These represent Left, Center and Right. A wager on the Center Column, for example, would include all twelve numbers appearing beneath the number 2, with 35 at the bot­tom. Payoff: 2 to 1.
7)         The Dozens: 1 to 12 (Premier); 13 to 24 (Milieu); 25 to
36 (Derniere).
These sets, known as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Dozens, or First, Middle and Last, are played in similar fashion to the Columns, but instead of placing wagers on numbered squares, they are put in specially marked sections at the bottom corners of the layout. Payoff: 2 to 1.
8)         High and Low, or Passe et Manque.
Special areas are provided for such play. The "high" num­bers are represented by 19 and above; the "low" run from 18 down. Payoff: Even money (1 to 1).
9)         Even and Odd, or Pair et Impair.
These also have their own sections. Wagers are placed on even or odd numbers as the player prefers. These apply from 1 to 36 inclusive. Payoff: Even money.
10) Red and Black, or Rouge et Noir.

Here we have the most familiar bet in all Roulette. You don't have to know numbers to play the colors, which are the most conspicuous feature of the wheel. Payoff: Even money.

Betting the Zeros

These, however, do not exhaust the betting possibilities on the remarkable Roulette board. It should be obvious by now that the Zero (0) and the Double Zero (00) are the only dis­turbing features. Where the single 0 represents the whole house percentage, as at Monte Carlo, it seems comparatively slight and even the double 00 is not too tough, if zeros do not come up too often.

When they do, it naturally would raise the question: Is the wheel fixed?

That is answered before you even sit down to play. To prove that the game is on the level and that the house is satisfied with its moderate percentage, the player is allowed to put his chips on the Zero (or Double Zero) as well as the numbered squares. This either keeps the house honest, or satisfies the skeptical player who plays along with it because he thinks it isn't honest. That is, you can make a Single Number wager on the Zero (or Double Zero) just as with any number between 1 and 36. Not only that, various combinations are allowable for players who prefer something milder than the 35 to 1 payoff.

For example: A Three Number Bet can include the Zero by placing the chip on the corner of 0, 1, 2 or 0, 2, 3. Here, the payoff is 11 to 1. On layouts that have a Double Zero this can be arranged with 0, 1,2 or 00, 2, 3. You can even play 0 and 00 along with Number 2.

As for a Four Number wager, in Monte Carlo, they have a play termed the Quatre Premiers where the chips are stacked at the side of the layout so that they extend from the edge and at the same time touch both the Numbers 0 and 1 (or 0 and 3). This means that the play covers 0, 1, 2 and 3, treating those numbers as a square.

Other Types of Bets

 Other special wagers are allowable:

A bet on the line between Low and Even, or Odd and Red, is treated thus:

If the ball hits a pocket that shows both (as a low, even number) the player receives 1 for 1. If it hits low but not even, or even but not low, the bet is called off. Should it miss on both low and even, the house rakes in the chips.

Another two-way bet can be made by placing a chip on the dividing line between two columns. In this case he is covering twenty-four numbers out of a possible thirty-six. Any win is reduced proportionately. Payoff: 1/2to 1.

Similarly, a stack of chips may be placed on the division between the 1st and 2nd Dozen, covering both; or between the 2nd and 3rd Dozen, including both. This has exactly the same result. Payoff: 1/2 to 1.

You may ask: Why should bets be reduced to such narrow margins or, literally, cut so thin.

The answer win be given when we discuss "system play" which is utilized in an effort to offset the house percentage. Most systems require a series of increasing wagers in order to make up for early losses so the amounts gambled must be small at first though there is more to it than just that, as we shall see.

Again: Many big "plungers" start by betting large amounts, either simply on hunches or the desire to make a quick win. If they hit an adverse "run" they are apt to reduce their bets in an effort to recoup their losses. Here, small profit margins are also the rule.

The House Percentage

One thing is mathematically certain. Over a long period, the "house" or "bank" will come out winner, provided the play fol­lows a reasonably consistent pattern. Normally, it does follow such a line, with a great variety of small or average bets serving to nullify one another so that the house collects a regular percentage.

With a wheel that has both a Zero and a Double Zero, the house has an "edge" of about 51/4 per cent which does not seem too great, particularly when compared to the 15 per cent (or more) which confronts a horse player when he visits the race track. But there the comparison ends.

At the track the player can bet on nine or ten races at the most, while the Roulette wheel—according to one estimate-may offer as many as 400 plays in one long, exhaustive session.

So the turnover at Roulette is much greater in proportion to the number of players involved. But there is an important differ­ence, namely:

In racing, the 15 per cent is taken "off the top" before the bets are paid off. The track, state or other profit makers can not lose. But with legalized Roulette, as played in Monaco, Nevada, Havana and other places, the house is in the game, so to speak, which means that its fortunes fluctuate like those of the players.

What goes for Roulette applies to other casino games that come strictly under the head of "chance," such as the Craps table, Chuck-a-Luck and other pastimes. So the lessons to be learned from Roulette apply in varying degree to all the rest, with some individual modifications.

The big lesson, of course, can be phrased in two words: "Don't play." This is not just the advice of a moralist. Nor is it based upon the sound proposition that gambling is a waste of time, even for those who can afford it, though there are very few such persons in this busy age.

For those who must gamble, the outdoor atmosphere of the race track is much more healthful and some good is accom­plished in improving the breed of horses, although it must be conceded that such a notion is very remote from the mind of the average racing fan when he lays a $2 wager across the board. There is the satisfaction, too, of picking a winner through skill or good judgment, though again, luck is admittedly the factor with most horse players.

But for those who gather around the green cloth—and we don't mean a pool table!—there is just one factor: Luck. It ap­plies to Roulette, Craps and the rest, regardless of so-called "systems" and their boasted merits. But those very methods can cause a variance in luck and in many instances may prolong a player's chances.

Systems are fascinating to study, interesting to know, if only to recognize their fallacies and avoid their pitfalls. Then, too, there is a chance that certain wheels may be rigged. That's also fun to find out—if you can. We'll come to all that later. For the present, let's take a good look at Luck.

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