Lucky Number - Roulette : Even the Church Promoted It!

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Roulette : Even the Church Promoted It!
By Loralei Walker

The game of roulette, invented by mathematician Blaise Pascal in the 17th century, was the first form of gambling instituted by the church in order to raise money. The original roulette layout, invented by brothers Francois and Louis Blanc in 1842, consisted of three columns and twelve rows, with each square being assigned a number between one and thirty-six, and a single zero surrounded by the shape of a house on top.

To support the idea held by the Church that gambling is a sin, the numbers on a roulette layout, when added together, totaled 666, the Devil's number. In those days, no bets were permitted on the single zero, as it was referred to as the "House of God." All bets were placed on the "Devil's Numbers", and payouts were made accordingly. The Church made its money by taking all bets on the table whenever the ball landed in single zero.

It is the numbers one through thirty-six which actually determine the payout structure for this game. Using the old rules of roulette, where no payout is made for an outcome of single zero, betting on numbers one through thirty-six ensured the possibility of betting without risk, as well as betting without gain. The payout for a "straight up" bet is 35:1; when added to the single chip placed on the winning number, the total number of chips is 36. Two chips placed on a "split" will pay 34, again totaling 36 when added to the winning chips. Accordingly, when only one chip is placed on a "split", thereby making only a half bet, the payout is 17. When added to the winning chip, the total is 18, exactly half of the available numbers on the layout. In this fashion, a player can cover a specified portion of the roulette layout without having to place a chip on each number.

With the inclusion of the single zero in the betting structure, as well as the double zero in what is referred to as "North American" roulette, the possibility of betting without risk is obsolete. The payout structure remains the same, but there is now the inclusion of the single and double zeroes to factor in. If a person were to bet on all available numbers, they would be placing either 37 or 38 bets. The payout would remain 35:1 on the winning number. When added to the winning chip, the total number of chips is 36, resulting in the loss of either one or two chips. The difference now lies in which roulette table to play - single or double zero? In North America, the double zero wheel is the more popular of the two. If you are considering odds, however, it is the single zero that offers the best bet. With the house advantage on a double zero roulette table being about 5.26%, it is almost double that of the single zero table, with a house advantage of about 2.70%.

Regardless of the odds, roulette remains one of the most popular games offered in casinos today. And, being more than three centuries old, we can be sure to enjoy it for years to come.

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