Can Casino Roulette Live Dealers Spin Any Number They Want?
Back in the day when I worked as a real dealer at a land based casino I was dealing a live roulette game to a table of exclusively Chinese customers. This particular roulette game was huge, with at least 20 real money casino chips on every number on the layout. Every number except one. The number 23 stood out because it did not have a single chip on it. This was in stark contrast to the skyscrapers on every other number on the roulette table. Once I span the ball I made a big show of placing my Dolly (plastic marker used to indicate the winning number) on number 23, and as I did the players all laughed in unison believing this to be dreadfully amusing. However, their amusement quickly turned to shock, and then anger, as the ball predictably landed in (you’ve guessed it!) number 23.
Of course it would have been amazing if I had discovered the secret to be able to spin any number I wanted on a roulette wheel. The truth was though, it was fluke. A badly timed one it has to be said, but a fluke nonetheless.
Hitting a number at live dealer roulette
Many people believe that at a live roulette casino, roulette live dealers have the ability to spin any number they want on a roulette table. In fact, this is the most common question asked to any live roulette dealer, after “what is the next number?”
So often has this question been asked by live roulette gamblers over the years, that it now falls into the realms of urban myth. In fact, it is even a question that we ourselves were curious about! So, we did some digging and discovered that…
The biggest myth about live roulette – busted!
Although it may seem like the live casino dealer has all of the power when it comes to spinning the ball on live roulette tables, they actually can’t hit any number they want.
In order for a live roulette dealer to be able to do this, the live roulette ball would have to travel around the wheel at the exact same speed as the wheel itself, and drop into the wheel at the exact same velocity each time. Not only that but both the ball and the wheel would have to be spun from the exact same position every single time. Even then, this does not take into account the studs around the rim of the wheel which can throw the ball off course.
Take it from me, no live roulette dealer, living or dead has ever been able to consistently spin any number they wish at live dealer roulette. Even if it were possible, the odds of it landing in a specific number would be astronomically low. Neither the laws of mathematics, or physics allow for the possibility of any human to achieve this feat at live roulette.
But they have tried…
I am reminded of a story, long before the days of online live roulette or live dealer roulette casinos, of an Italian Croupier (French roulette dealer) at a land based casino, who dedicated his life to French roulette games and overcoming the house edge by teaching himself to spin any number he wanted on a roulette wheel.
For more than 20 years he could be found playing roulette on a French roulette table at his home, attempting to cheat the laws of physics (and presumably the land based casino). Day after day, for two decades he would try in vain to discover the secret to the ‘perfect spin’ on a roulette table. He was never successful, and in the end, once he realised he had wasted his entire life at French roulette, he shot himself.
Can dealers influence live roulette games?
That isn’t to say that croupiers at online live roulette casinos have no influence over online live roulette. Croupiers at a land based casino or a live roulette casino are taught to vary the spin each and every time. This means that when dealing live roulette casino games, a croupier will spin both the ball and the wheel at different speeds every single spin. This is monitored by the live roulette table inspector (chef de table).
How do live online roulette dealers spin the ball?
The process of spinning the ball at a live roulette online casino is actually a lot more complicated than you may think. The dealer must use their thumb and index finger to flick the ball off of the wall of the roulette wheel. They must release it at just the right time in order to make sure that it goes around the rim of the wheel a minimum of three times before landing in a slot.
The more roulette games they deal the more painful this can become. Next time you are playing roulette, watch how the dealer spins the ball on the live dealer roulette games. It won’t help you to play live dealer roulette more successfully but it may put your mind at rest.
It is also important to note that casino live dealers are not able to spin any number they want. Most online casinos have a specific set of rules for online roulette games (as in all live casinos games) they must follow when it comes to spinning the ball. The rules for live dealer games are put in place in order to make sure that live dealer roulette is fair for all players involved.
Statistical anomalies at live dealer roulette
Despite everything I’ve said, live dealer roulette games will frequently throw up anomalies, statistical variances or acts of God. Many times on a live roulette table a croupier will spin the same number three times in a row. This is much more common than you would think. A live dealer, dealing live roulette at a live casino, will spin the ball hundreds of times a day, several days a week. The odds are similar to a professional golfer scoring a hole-in-one at a par 3! My personal best was four times in a row (number 17 if you were wondering!) but even that is not unusual on live roulette. A lot of live roulette dealers have achieved this feat, as well as land based casino croupiers.
At European roulette the odds of a ‘four-timer’ are 37x37x37x37 which equates to 1,874,161 to 1. This is because there are 37 numbers on a real roulette wheel (36 numbers plus Zero) meaning that the odds of any number coming up must be 1 in 37. for every subsequent time this same number comes up the odds increase by multiplying it by itself.
The maths is exactly the same for American roulette, except for the addition of one extra number (see below).
Always bet on BLACK or RED at live online roulette
Another commonly held myth at live roulette casinos is that one colour (red or black) comes up a number of times then you should bet on the other colour.
Not so. If you want to win live roulette bets and the live dealer is consistently spinning one color, go with it.
I once spun 28 consecutive black numbers! I had only one player playing live roulette at my table, a little old Jewish lady. She bet on red for every one of those 28 numbers. After the 28th number she decided she did not want to play roulette any longer and left. The next number? 23 red!
The longest sequence of numbers ever whilst playing live roulette was 32 red numbers all the way back in 1943 in Las Vegas.
Record number of consecutive spins on a live dealer roulette table
The most times a live dealer has spun one number consecutively on a roulette game is ‘7’. A professional poker claimed that the number 19 came up seven consecutive times whilst playing roulette at a casino in Las Vegas. However, this has never been officially verified.
In a local casino in Bristol, UK, live dealer Liz Harlow-Smith spun the number ‘4’ seven times in a row. She gained quite a bit of notoriety because of this and was eventually hired by a live casino in Canada where she went to deal live casino games in one of Canada’s first live casinos.
European roulette v American roulette – What’s the difference?
There are a few key differences between European roulette and American roulette.
The main difference is that the wheel in European roulette has only one ‘Zero’, whereas the American wheel has both a ‘Zero’ and a ‘Double-Zero’. This increases the house edge for players playing American Roulette to 5.26%, (2.7% in European roulette) as there is a higher chance that the ball will fall into one of these slots. European roulette, bizarrely enough uses an American layout and a French wheel!
Play live roulette online at these casinos:
Here is a selection of the best live roulette casinos, especially chosen for Canadians that love to play live roulette online. Enjoy!
Why not try these other live roulette games
There are many live roulette variants besides standard online roulette. If you love online games and live dealer casino particularly there are some really cool new ways to play live roulette.
Double Ball Roulette
Double Ball Roulette is a new way to play live roulette that features two balls instead of one. The game is played on a traditional European-style roulette wheel, with 36 numbered slots and a single zero. Players can place bets on any combination of the numbers, as well as odds or evens, red or black, and high or low.
This game is played with two balls which are projected around the rim of the wheel thanks to gas propulsion. When both the balls fall into a slot(s) the dealer pays out according to the pay table for this game. Double Ball Roulette is a fun and exciting casino game that offers players the chance to win big payouts. This live roulette is available at most roulette casinos, so be sure to check it out today!
Lightning roulette
Lightning roulette is a live roulette game played exactly the same as classic roulette… only faster! If you are looking to play live roulette online we can totally recommend this as one of the best casino games to play for fast action and big multipliers. Any good online casino will have this game in their portfolio as it is one of the popular versions of live dealer roulette.
The key feature of the game is that it features from 1 to 5 ‘lucky numbers’ that can see you win bonus payouts up to 500x your stake. This a super fun version of online roulette that is also great to play on mobile devices.
Multi Wheel Roulette
Multi Wheel Roulette as the name suggests is an online game that allows players to bet on up to eight different wheels at the same time. It looks very impressive when the wheels are spinning at the same time, and can be great fun. Multi Wheel Roulette is not available at your local casino but is available for live roulette play and is fast becoming one of the most popular live roulette games to be found at live dealer roulette casinos.
How to Play Multi Wheel Roulette
When you start playing Multi Wheel Roulette, you first need to select the number of wheels you want to bet on. You can choose between one and eight wheels. Then, select your real money betting options by clicking on the different betting areas shown on the table. You can bet on a particular number, colour, or range of numbers. Once you have placed your bets, hit the ‘Spin’ button and the wheels will start spinning. If the ball lands on one of your selected numbers, you win! This is a great way to play live dealer roulette online as it gives you up to 8x as many betting options.
Premier Roulette Diamond Edition
Like most live roulette games Premier Roulette Diamond Edition is played with a live dealer at online casinos that offer live casino games. It is a great way to play live roulette and is similar to live dealer roulette played in a physical casino.
French Roulette
There are many different types of live roulette games available at online casinos, but French Roulette is one of the most popular. It is a variation of the classic casino game that can be found at many a physical casino thoughout Europe. Probably the most enthralling of live roulette games it offers players an interesting experience with some unique features. In French Roulette, players can make inside and outside bets, as well as bet on specific numbers or groups of numbers. The game also features the Le Partage rule which gives players the chance to recoup half of their bet if the ball lands on zero.
VIP European Roulette
VIP European Roulette is a live casino game for people that enjoy online gambling for high stakes. This version of roulette is one of those casino games that was designed for high rollers to play live dealer roulette online. It can be played at most online casinos that offer live roulette. The game is played with a real live dealer, who spins the wheel and launches the ball. The action is streamed in high definition to your computer or mobile device, so you can follow the action and see if your number comes up.
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