The Anatomy of a Roulette Table
Almost anyone can instantly recognize a Roulette “wheel” when they see one. Elegantly crafted of a decorative and often inlaid and stained wooden “bowl” that contains the “liner” where the colored numbers, pockets and a central “turret” complete the arrangement. The inside of the standard wheel relies on bearings to smoothly spin the liner in order to play the game.
The name of the game itself comes from the French word for “small wheel” and it was in France where the game has its origins. From the late 1700s, Roulette began to grow in popularity and spread throughout the world. It made its way to the United States, where some of the small changes to design and layout were made that are still in use today.
In Europe gambling was eventually outlawed in many locations until Roulette found a permanent home in the lovely city of Monte Carlo in Monaco. Today it is still the most popular game in the many casinos and gambling houses remaining throughout the glamorous town.
To play Roulette requires the wheel and a green felt “layout”. Depending upon the location of the game the wheel will be a “single” or a “double” zero wheel. France and most of Europe adhere to single zero games, while the United States and other areas like the increased winnings of the double zero games.
The layout table or design for most casinos follows the “Americanized” version, with the layout table at one end and the wheel at the other. Earlier, European, formats had the wheel in the center with two layouts on either side, and while that style exists in Monte Carlo, the more modern format has narrowed the design down to the single style.
Regardless of the style of game, the layout will be a very organized grid where players can lay their “chips” that are their wagers or bets. They can continue to place bets on a spin until the dealer, or “croupier” says “no more bets” and spins the wheel in one direction and the ball in another.
The bearings inside the bowl will eventually slow down, and the ball drops into the liner where there are pockets for each number printed within the inner ring. The winning bets are determined by the pocket that the ball falls into.
The croupier, or dealer, is the casino’s employee that accepts bets and pays out winnings to players who have successfully chosen their bets. In European casinos a croupier must master Roulette before moving on to any other casino games, while in the United States a dealer must master the card game known as “Blackjack” before they can move to games such as Roulette.
The design of a modern Roulette table places the croupier or dealer in a notched area at the far end of the table, nearest to the wheel. The players are scattered around the open areas nearest the layout, where they can easily lay their bets, and hopefully collect their winnings!