Roullete, French for “little wheel,” is a casino game in which players wager on the outcome of a spinning ball. The roulette table includes several bet types, each with different odds and payouts. While the odds aren’t always favorable, knowing the rules and bet types can help you increase your chances of winning at roulette.
The history of the game began more than 300 years ago, with the 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal being credited with its invention. Its popularity grew quickly, and by the 18th century, it was a staple in many casinos and gambling houses throughout Europe.
A roulette wheel consists of a static bowl with a metal spindle, and around the edge are separate compartments or pockets that a croupier, also known as a dealer, uses to place bets. The inner part of the wheel is a solid, convex disk painted alternately red and black with numbers 1 to 36, while a 37th compartment, on European wheels, and two green ones, on American ones, are labeled 0, 00, and 0/00, respectively.
After a player makes a bet, the croupier (dealer) spins the wheel in one direction and then rolls a small white ball in the opposite direction, around a tilted circular track that runs along the perimeter of the wheel. The ball eventually lands in one of the pockets marked with a specific number. If your bet was correct, you win.
Each person at the roulette table gets a colored chip that corresponds to a specific denomination of money. The dealer will then ask you what amount you wish to assign to your chip and will mark it accordingly. This helps keep the game fair and prevents cheating.
During the early American roulette games, there was rampant cheating by both operators and players. To combat this, the roulette wheel was placed on top of the table and the betting layout was simplified to eliminate any opportunities for hidden devices. These changes became the basis for modern-day American roulette games.
When playing roulette, it’s best to start with the “outside” bets. These bets are made on groups of numbers instead of individual digits and have a higher probability of hitting. They’re also less expensive, so they’re a great way to test your luck before placing any more bets.