Roulette has offered glamour, mystery and excitement to casino-goers since the 17th century. While many believe the game is simple and requires no skill, it actually has a surprising depth for serious betters, and can provide high rewards if you play with the right strategy.
To understand how the game works, start by familiarizing yourself with the table map and betting areas. A roulette wheel has 37 pockets, and every area on the table maps corresponds to a different type of bet. In most cases, players will purchase colored chips from the dealer, and each player will have a unique color to differentiate their bets.
Most bets in roulette are placed on the numbered slots, with some bets grouped into groups of numbers and others placed on colors or whether the number is odd or even. Each group has a corresponding house edge, which is the amount the casino expects to win from the bets it accepts. The table is also arranged in a way that increases the chances of winning for bets on certain types of numbers or colors, and some bets are even money bets (bets that pay 1 to 1) while others lose if the ball lands on 0.
A roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape with a metal rim with thirty-six compartments, called frets by roulette croupiers. These compartments are painted alternately red and black, and numbered nonconsecutively from one to 36. On European-style wheels, a 37th compartment, painted green, carries the sign 0, and on American wheels, two green compartments on opposite sides of the wheel carry the signs 0 and 00.
The dealer will clear the table of losing bets and pay winners, then pause the game until all players have placed their chips. Then, the dealer spins the wheel and throws a small ball into it, calling out the winning number when it appears. After the round is over, the dealer clears the table, pays the winners and begins a new game.
While there are a few systems that claim to beat roulette, it is important to remember that the game is based on luck and no system can change that. So, it’s best to stick to outside bets that offer a higher chance of winning, and avoid bets on individual numbers or groups of numbers.
