Roulette is one of the most popular casino games and offers glamour, mystery and excitement. Its rules are simple and it can be played by novices and seasoned players alike. There is a surprising amount of depth to the game, though, and the right strategy can yield high rewards.
The word “roulette” means little wheel in French. The game consists of a table with betting zones and a revolving disk called the roulette wheel. The rim of the wheel is divided into 35 compartments, or pockets, which are painted alternately red and black. The compartments are separated by metal partitions, called frets or separators; in European-style wheels a 37th pocket is painted green and on American roulette wheels two green compartments are on opposite sides of the wheel, carrying the symbols 0 and 00. A croupier sends a small white ball spinning, which will eventually land in one of the pockets. Bets are placed on the table, correlating with the number of slots in which the ball can possibly land.
When placing bets in roulette, it is important to understand the house edge and the various types of bets. It is also important to know which bets have the highest chance of winning. Generally speaking, inside bets have higher odds of winning than outside bets. However, this is not always the case.
Outside bets are the easiest to place and usually have low house edges. These include bets on individual numbers, on red or black, and on odd or even. The simplest bet is to place a chip on the end of any street (row of three numbers) on the table map. Alternatively, you can make an “inside” bet by placing your chip on the boundary between a column and a row of numbers.
While there are many theories as to the origin of roulette, it is generally agreed that the modern game was developed in the 17th century by French mathematician Blaise Pascal in his quest for a perpetual motion machine. The roulette cylinder was introduced in a primitive form at this time, and the game spread rapidly across Europe. Today, there are a multitude of variations on the game and its popularity is worldwide.
