Different Worlds
In Europe, roulette is an immensely popular game. It is a comfortable, quiet, leisurely game usually enjoyed by the fairer sex and systems players (those players using a betting, but not a predictive system to try to overcome the house edge). The table limits are higher and the house edge is smaller. When you consider the fact that there is only one zero (37 pockets instead of 38), the house edge is brought down to 2.7 percent.
Then add to that the en prison rule for even-money wagers and you’ll find the edge cut down to a less formidable 1.35 percent - which makes these bets better than the pass and come bets at craps, Let It Ride, Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, Pai Gow Poker and a host of other games and wagers!
If you think you might visit any of the European casinos, plan ahead. Find out if they have a dress code. The more elegant casinos will require formal dress. Also, the casinos may actually be private clubs, open only to club members and their guests.
This is especially true in the United Kingdom. After you apply for membership, you will have to wait at least 24 hours before playing. Be wary and learn the proper manners, for example in many European casinos tipping the dealer may not be allowed. Before visiting these establishments for the first time, remember to do your homework.
The casinos in the United States and Canada have a much different atmosphere. North American games run two to three times faster. You’ll probably find a more casual dress code and a laid-back attitude. On one recent visit to Las Vegas, I watched as two young couples, sprinkling the layout and swigging’ beer, were having an amusing and uninhibited time at one of the roulette tables at the California Club.
Whenever one of them would hit a straight-up winner, all four would jump to their feet, banging backsides and singing “Roller coaster … of love.” I have to admit, everyone was enjoying themselves, including the dealer and the supervisor. But what a contrast to the more reserved and slower paced games found on the continent. You won’t find many people slapping their backsides but you will still find that roulette is a roller coaster! You can also play roulette online at the top casino sites, which offer various versions of this game.
Of course, the standards are different in America and Canada as well. For example, in American casinos tipping the dealer is not only permitted, it is encouraged, and dealers rely on tips to make a living. Unfortunately, on average, the North American roulette game is not as good as its European cousin. It is possible to find single-zero wheels in Las Vegas and you can find the surrender rule (similar to the en prison rule) in Atlantic City, but I have not seen both available at the same casino, or even in the same city.
