Double Ball Roulette

The casino game known as Double Ball Roulette was designed by a company known as Games Marketing and introduced to the industry at the 2013 Global Gaming Expo.

The following year, Double Ball Roulette made its live debut at the Tropicana Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

Games Marketing is a London based casino game designer and developer which was founded in 2003. The company is responsible for popular casino games like Bonus Acey Deucey and Texas Hold’em Bonus, as well as side bets concepts like 21+3 and Lucky Lucky.

Responding to the rising popularity of online casino play, Games Marketing also licensed Double Ball Roulette out to a select group of major platforms, including PokerStars Casino and Unibet Casino.

For the most part, the online adaptations of the game follow the rules and odds included in the brick and mortar version, so unless otherwise stated, the information found on this page will pertain to both live and online Double Ball Roulette.

The basic premise of Double Ball Roulette is exactly what the name suggests: rather than wager on the result of a single ball spinning around the roulette wheel, in this game, you’ll have two balls in play on every spin. Thanks to a specialized device which uses compressed air to shoot the second ball at a timed interval behind the first, the two balls can never impact one another, leading to a pair of independent results on each spin.

By adding a second ball to the mix, Double Ball Roulette expands the normal selection of wagers found in the traditional game. Some bets require one ball to land in the correct space, while other wagers are contingent on both balls. The game’s crown jewel is a massive jackpot (1,200 to 1 live, 1,300 to 1 online) awarded when players choose a single number and have both balls land correctly in the same space.

If you’re planning a trip to Sin City sometime soon, or you’ve recently joined the PokerStars or Unibet online casino platforms, this page should provide you with everything you need to know about Double Ball Roulette. We’ll begin with a detailed rundown of the games rules, including the available wagers, associated payouts, and the table layout. Next up is a guide to locating Double Ball Roulette tables, either in the brick and mortar setting or online. To conclude, we’ll discuss the strategic elements inherent to this new game, such as the house edge facing players and the bets which offer the most favorable odds.

Rules and How to Play

The general rules of Double Ball Roulette are identical to those found in regular roulette games, so if you’re unfamiliar with the classic wheel game, check out our main roulette page to give yourself a crash course on the basics.

The wheel design and table layout used in Double Ball Roulette are exactly the same as those used in an “American” double zero roulette game. That means you’ll be spinning a wheel featuring the numbers 1 through 36 arranged in alternating red and black colored spaces, along with two green spaces labeled “0” and “00.”* Unless you’ve wagered on these green “house” spaces specifically, a ball landing on either “0” or “00” results in all wagers being claimed by the house.

*One note to remember regarding online play: the version of Double Ball Roulette found online uses the “European” wheel, which features just one “0” house space.

Same Type of Betting

The betting area is arranged into the same 3 x 12 grid, containing the numbers 1 through 36 and topped by the house numbers, which is used in traditional roulette.

The basic bets available in Double Ball Roulette follow the same structure as found in regular roulette, consisting of “inside” bets (single numbers, along with combinations like split, corner, double street bets, etc.), and “outside” bets (red or black, even or odd, columns, etc.).

However, in Double Ball Roulette, all outside bets must involve both balls to produce a winner, while all inside bets are dependent on a single ball only. As an example, let’s consider that you’ve placed a bet on the number 17, along with a second bet on the color red. To win the single number bet, you only need one of the two balls to land on 17 (both would be better, though, as you’ll learn when we cover payouts). To win the bet on red, though, you’ll need both balls to find a red colored space.

Players Can Launch the Balls

One difference to take note of between Double Ball Roulette and its predecessor is the role of the dealer. In traditional games, the dealer will spin the wheel and launch the ball themselves, but in Double Ball, Roulette players take turns using a special remote control to launch the pair of balls.

The various wagers available in Double Ball Roulette, along with the corresponding payouts for winners, have been compiled in the chart below:

As you can see by reviewing the tables above with the Double Ball Roulette payouts, the central premise of roulette remains essentially the same, even down to the odds, in this table game.

You can choose between safer outside bets, but in this case, you’ll need both balls to land in the correct spaces to notch a winner.

Or, you can gamble on the riskier inside bets, and when you do, you’ll be paid out according to the standard formula when you land a single ball correctly. Should you land both balls in the right space after placing an inside bet, the payouts double in kind.

Finally, the game’s premier attraction is the Double Ball Roulette Jackpot, which is awarded only on single number wagers that happen to land both balls in the same space. This longshot pays out an astounding 1,200 to 1 on your money (1,300 to 1 online), making for an extremely exciting sweat on every single number wager you spin.

Best Casinos to Play Double Ball Roulette

The concept behind Double Ball Roulette is owned by Games Marketing, and the company has worked hard in the last few years to secure floor space at several casino properties.

The following brick and mortar casino establishments are known to offer Double Ball Roulette tables at this time:

• Tropicana Las Vegas – Las Vegas, Nevada (The Strip)
• Binion’s Gambling Hall & Hotel – Las Vegas, Nevada (Downtown)

This slim list is by no means comprehensive, however, and in time, Games Marketing may be able to expand Double Ball Roulette’s presence to a wider market.

Call Around for More Options

And as always, never hesitate to place a phone call to your local casino or favorite venue and ask for the table games manager. Even if they don’t have Double Ball Roulette in the house, they may know of a location that does, and inquiries like this just may prompt them to explore adding the game sometime down the road.

As far as the online casino industry, Double Ball Roulette online has been licensed for use by several major platforms. Below you can find a list of the reputable online casino brands which currently offer Double Ball Roulette as part of the table games menu:

• LeoVegas Casino
• PokerStars Casino
• Unibet Casino

Once again, this list may not include every casino platform carrying Double Ball Roulette Online, as the industry landscape is constantly shifting in response to player demand. Feel free to browse our collection of recommended Online Casinos and keep checking if this game becomes available.

Double Ball Roulette to Join Evolution Gaming

The Evolution Gaming network, which powers the game found at Unibet Casino, is reportedly set to add the game across its full spectrum of client casinos sometime in 2016. So in the future, you’ll likely be able to find Double Ball Roulette at any Evolution Gaming powered online casino platform.

Double Ball Roulette Strategy

First things first: roulette, played with one ball or two, is a game of pure chance; no skill is involved. This means players have no ability to control or influence the outcome of a spin, and thus, no strategies to apply. Simply put, Double Ball Roulette, like all roulette variants, involves gambling on a guess and nothing more.

With that said, sharp players can still play Double Ball Roulette correctly simply by studying the game’s probabilities and payouts closely. Thankfully, legendary game theorist and mathematician Michael Shackleford, who runs the popular Wizard of Odds casino game resource, has crunched the numbers on Double Ball Roulette.

Outside Bets & Probability

According to Shackleford’s calculations, the numbers break down as follows for outside bets:

As you can see by scanning the right most column, the house edge on all outside bets stands at 10.24 percent. This number is untenable from a player’s perspective, falling squarely among the “sucker” bet category, so sound strategy for Double Ball Roulette would dictate avoiding all outside bets at all costs.

When it comes to the Double Ball Jackpot, the house edge jumps to 16.82 percent, once again much too high to wager on regularly. For a lark, this bet can be exciting and entertaining, but making them more than once an evening is a recipe for disaster.

Inside Bets & House Edge

Moving on to the inside bets, Shackleford calculates overall house edge rates for the various bets as follows:

By comparing these house edge rates to those found in traditional double zero roulette, which stands at 5.26 percent, you can see that wagering on either a single number or two numbers offers a similar gameplay experience.

A wager on three numbers still falls within acceptable ranges, at least as far as roulette goes, but any other inside bet should be avoided at all times.

Thus, the optimal strategy for Double Ball Roulette is to bet on single numbers, two numbers (split), or three numbers (line), while resisting the temptation to splash around on the other wagers. By sticking to this approach, you’ll enjoy odds against which all but match those offered by the traditional double zero roulette wheel.

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