There is something about the spinning wheel with all the numbers and little slots, the clacking of the little white ball and the expectant intake of breath when it drops. All the spies in James Bond movies play live roulette. Why is that? Is it the coolness of the croupier when he spins the wheel? Or is it flick of his wrist that sends the ivory ball tracking around the groove at the top of the wheel? Is it the astronomical odds of winning on a single number?
Whatever it is, roulette is the sport of the spy set. There is also an unwritten rule that the spies and their adversaries all have to wear an “After Six” tuxedo. The women are all in floor length, spaghetti strapped gowns that plunge to their navel. Even the villains are well dressed and groomed to a T.
The attraction to live roulette may be that elaborate table on which the bets are placed. That table that is anchored at one end by the wheel, the star of the show, is surrounded by eager players anxiously placing their bets. And the betting takes a little understanding too.
The game of roulette is attributed to Francois Blanc who reportedly made a deal with the devil to gain the secrets of roulette. This myth is based on the fact that the roulette numbers, 1 through 36, total 666, the number of The Beast in Revelations. Whatever the truth, the game squares on the board correspond to the numbered and colored slots on the wheel. There are thirty-eight slots, one through thirty-six, zero and double zero.
Bets are placed on individual numbers, on the line between numbers or on the corners of four numbers. Bets may also be placed on “first twelve,” “second twelve” or “third twelve” groups of numbers. A player may also bet on “red or black” and “odd or even,” or “first eighteen, second eighteen” or a row of numbers. The winning payoff odds correspond to the way the bet is placed.
Once the croupier spins the little ball, the betting ceases and the players watch with bated breath. The little white, ivory marble spins slower and slower, and then tumbles down into the slot field. It bounces a few time then falls into the winning slot. The croupier calls the winner, “Number twenty-six, black,” and the stickman whisks in the losers’ chips and pays off the few winners. Almost immediately, the game begins again as the players place their bets.
The odds may not be great for winning a large sum, but live roulette is intoxicating to watch and play. Everyone around the table may not be dressed in a tux or cocktail dress, but the excitement is still the same. Players and observers still hold their breath as the wheel spins, waiting for the ball to drop. There is almost an intake of air, a sigh, when it drops, bounces and settles into the numbered slot.
