Roulette is a casino game that has been bringing glamour and mystery to the gambling world since the 17th century. Though it is often considered a game of pure chance, there is a surprising level of depth and strategy available to serious bettors. The basic rules of roulette are easy to learn and understand, but there is much more to know before you head for the table.
The Roulette Wheel
The roulette wheel consists of a solid, slightly convex wooden disk with thirty-six metal compartments called frets or canoes by croupiers. The compartments, painted alternately red and black, are numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. On European wheels, a separate compartment, painted green, carries the number 0. On American wheels, there are two green compartments on opposite sides of the zero, numbered 0 and 00.
Each roulette table carries a placard describing the minimum and maximum bets allowed. Set a budget before you enter the game and choose a table within your limits. The lower your bet, the more you can win. If you are a beginner, begin with outside bets which cover larger categories of numbers and offer higher odds of winning.
Once you have placed your bet, the croupier spins the wheel and a ball is rolled onto it. When the ball settles in a pocket, it will reveal if you won or lost. The croupier then removes losing bets and pays out the winners based on the payout table. After this, the betting process begins again.
There are many types of roulette bets. These can be divided into “inside bets” and “outside bets”. Inside bets are wagers on individual numbers or groups of numbers, while outside bets cover more general categories of numbers (like red or black) or the odd or even numbers. A good place to start is by placing chips on the end of any “street” (row of 3 numbers) on the betting board. Avoid making grandiose or complicated bets; you’re more likely to lose than win. Also, try not to be influenced by other players’ decisions. This may give you false confidence in your own abilities and can actually make you more prone to mistakes. The best way to play roulette is to simply have fun and remember that the game is a game of chance.