Roulette is probably one of the most classic casino games, complete with its surprises and twists in history. In fact, the evolution of this game has been a tapestry woven from elements spanning many cultures and centuries to create the globally popular game that it is today.
So let me take you through some of its colorful history.
Ancient Origins and Early Inspirations
Imagine ancient China. They've got a game including 37 animal figurines upon it, which is based on some magic square, with the sum of the numbers coming out to be 666. Pretty mysterious, huh? Dominican monks came across this game and decided to bring it into Europe, doing a little patching. It turned the square into a circle, and now the real groundwork of roulette had been laid.
Ancient Roman soldiers had their variant of roulette too while away all the time. The shields had symbols etched into them, and they would spin to see where the symbols landed, placing wagers on them. Fast-forward a little to ancient Greece, and the story was the same: soldiers drawing symbols onto shields and betting on the outcome. All these were games of chance and luck.
The French Connection
Fast forward now to 17th-century France. The mathematician Blaise Pascal was at work trying to devise a perpetual motion machine. He certainly did not intend to create a game, but well, he did. Experiments conducted by him resulted in the roulette wheel. Funny how things can work out sometimes.
In 1842, Francois and Louis Blanc introduced a single zero to the wheel. This gave the house a larger edge, and the game became even more in demand. They presented this new edition in Monte Carlo and tasted success. In fact, Monte Carlo casinos owe a lot of success to that small alteration.
Roulette's Journey to America
In the 19th century, Roulette traveled to America. American casinos introduced double zero, which slightly changed the game from the European one. They also put the wheel on top of the table to prevent cheating, making American roulette different.
Digital Revolution
Now, in the second half of the twentieth century, the internet exploded, and roulette found a new home in the online world. I find playing at home very convenient. Online casinos come with loads of versions, and you get to pick the one that is best suited for you. It's pretty simple and keeps away all the hustle of the land-based casinos.
Some people miss the social element of the game in land-based casinos. This is where live dealer roulette fills the gap. It wasn't until the early 2000s that companies like Evolution Gaming started to stream real game-play in real-time. And there we had it, both worlds in one, the comfort of home and the excitement of a live casino.
Virtual Reality technology will make online roulette even more realistic. Virtually, VR creates a fully immersive environment for a person to feel as if one is actually inside a casino. It also allows players to be able to interact with the roulette table and other players within that 3D virtual space using VR headsets. This will add a new dimension to the gaming experience, with realistic graphics, sounds, and movement across the casino floor.
In VR roulette, players have the ability to view a virtual casino, drawing closer to different tables, and approaching dealers or other players, much as one might do in a real casino. Most of all, this enhances the visual features of the game, and the sociability elements make it much more engaging and enjoyable. I would also like to believe that in the near future, probably a few years down the line, VR will become a commonality, both as a substitute for live games or simply to enhance the general experience of just being online.
Variations and Innovations
Roulette has gone through many variations just to keep things interesting. For instance, in 2016 alone, The Venetian Las Vegas introduced a 39-number wheel with a triple zero. Then there are the mini roulette and multi-wheel roulette versions in order to add another level of thrills when you need something a bit beyond the classic version of the game.
Mini Roulette is a much more simplified variant of the game played on a smaller wheel with fewer slots, only 13, from numbers 1 to 12 and one zero. In this variant, the gameplay is very much simplified, and the game itself is much faster, making it great for new players or people on the go. At the same time, it is saved with all the charm of the bigger version and the basic rules maintained in Mini Roulette.
In Multi Wheel Roulette, a player wagers on several roulette wheels at the same time, up to eight, in a single game. This variant of roulette increases the winning chances and brings into play another dimension of strategy, as one is able to diversify his or her bets on the several wheels involved in the game.
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