Roulette is one of the most popular casino games. It offers glamour, mystery and excitement to players worldwide. It has been around in a primitive form since the 17th century. The modern game of roulette came into being about a century later.

Roulette consists of a spinning wheel with divisions that alternate red and black. It has one or two zero pockets and several other compartments affording a variety of betting opportunities. The player places chips on the table according to a betting pattern and then the croupier spins the wheel. The ball then lands in one of the compartments, which determines the winning number. Winning bets are paid out according to the payout table. The croupier removes losing bets and starts the next round.

The history of Roulette is rich with fanciful legends. It is thought that the game was invented by a French mathematician Blaise Pascal as part of his efforts to create a perpetual motion machine. Later, it made its way to the Americas as a game of chance in gambling dens and casinos.

There are many roulette strategies that claim to beat the house edge. But it’s important to remember that roulette is a game of chance and there are no guarantees of winning. You should always bet within your budget and choose a table with a maximum betting limit that allows you to play multiple rounds.

A Roulette Wheel

The modern version of the roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape with metal partitions molded into its surface. The partitions are numbered from 1 to 36 and alternate red and black, with the addition of a green 00 pocket on American tables. There are also a series of symmetrical groupings of numbers, including high (18-36) and low (1-6) red or black, odd or even, and the first, second or third dozen.

Roulette Rules

To understand the basic rules of roulette, it helps to know the differences between European and American games. The American game has an extra green pocket marked 00 and has a higher house edge than the European version of the game. It is therefore preferable to play European roulette when possible.

The rules of roulette are simple and easy to learn. Players place bets on what they think the ball will land on by putting chips down on a special betting mat. The chips are clearly marked with the type of bet. Bets on six or fewer numbers are called “Inside bets” and those on 12 or more numbers are known as “Outside bets”. Each bet has its own odds of winning, which are shown in the payout table on the right side of the roulette table. The bets are displayed in French on the betting mat but English terms and a different style of bet mat are used at most US tables.