The word “Roulette” derives from the French word meaning a small wheel. However where Roulette originated is disputed. Though some sources state that it was Blaise Pascal, an early 17th Century French mathematician who invented the roulette wheel, other sources now state that the game originated in the Far East and was brought to Europe from China by Dominican monks trading with the Chinese.

At the latter years of the 18th century the Roulette wheel became very popular when Prince Charles introduced gambling to Monaco as a way of alleviating the deep financial problems of the principality. Online casino.

Later, the modern version of the Roulette wheel became widespread in 1851 when Frenchmen Francois and Louis Blanc invented the single “0″ roulette game. The game was eventually brought to America in the early 19th century where it was quickly adopted in underground gaming parlours.

Unfortunately for US players the single “0″ modification was rejected in America because the operators felt the odds stacked against them and the two zeros “00″ where therefore returned to the Roulette wheel. During the Gold Rush, free labor and fast-moving cash meant the game took off in popularity.

In the late 1800s, roulette began to spread all over Europe and the U.S., fast becoming one of the most famous and one of the most popular of all casino games. Roulette became known in France and European high society as the “King of Casino Games”. The association was probably more to do with its links to the glamorous casinos of Deauville and Monte Carlo rather than its royal origins.

A famous roulette history legend tells about Francois Blanc, who once bargained with the devil to try to get the secrets of roulette and beat the house. The legend of the devil originates from the fact that if you add up all the numbers on the roulette wheel (1,2,3,4…all the way to 36), the resulting total is “666″, which as any fan of the Damien films will know is the “Number of the Beast” and symbolizes the evil of the devil’s work.

Today, Roulette is the most popular game in most European Casinos. A Roulette table is often surrounded by wealthy and well-dressed players who enjoy the glamour the game has to offer. Online poker.

On of the most famous roulette bets occurred in 2004, and has become a u-tube hit. Ashley Revel of London sold all of his possessions including house, pets and clothing, and brought US$135,300 to the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas. He put it all on “Red” at the roulette table in a double-or-nothing bet. The ball landed on “Red 7″ and Revel walked away with his money doubled to $270,600 and entered the history of roulette forever.

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