The Basics of Roulette
Roulette, or roulete, is one of the casino’s most popular games and has been around for more than 200 years. It is a simple game of chance where players bet on which number they think the ball will land in when the wheel stops spinning. A player can place a wager on either individual numbers, various groups of numbers or even colors (red or black).
The wheel is a solid wooden disk slightly convex and contains thirty-six metal compartments called “frets” or “canoes,” painted alternately red and black and numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. On European-style wheels, a separate green compartment carries the number 0; on American tables, there are two additional green pockets marked 00. The dealer places a small ball in the wheel’s rotator, which spins it until it comes to rest in one of the compartments.
Before the ball is rolled, players must decide which number or grouping of numbers they wish to bet on by placing chips on a roulette betting mat. The precise placement of the chips correlates with the type of bet being made, and it is important to place them correctly if you want to follow a winning strategy for roulette.
Once all bets are placed, the croupier spins the roulette wheel and announces the winning number, paying out winners automatically. The wheel is operated by a mechanism that is balanced perfectly, and the ball never hits anything but the pockets – it doesn’t bounce or roll off the edge of the rim.
While there are many fanciful stories about the game’s origin, it was most likely invented by the 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal, or by Chinese monks who brought it to France in the 18th century. It is now a favorite in casinos and gambling dens worldwide.
Roulette is available at most online casinos, including those that specialize in live dealer games. In these versions, you place your bets through your computer or smartphone and the table is handled in real-time by a human croupier. Most of the game is identical to that found in land-based casinos, with a few exceptions. For example, some online roulette sites offer the “La Partage” rule, which reduces the house edge on even money bets to just 1.35%. While the odds of hitting a number are still against you, this is a significant improvement over the house edge in standard roulette.
Roulette, or roulete, is one of the casino’s most popular games and has been around for more than 200 years. It is a simple game of chance where players bet on which number they think the ball will land in when the wheel stops spinning. A player can place a wager on either individual numbers, various groups of numbers or even colors (red or black). The wheel is a solid wooden disk slightly convex and contains thirty-six metal compartments called “frets” or “canoes,” painted alternately red and black and numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. On European-style wheels, a separate green compartment carries the number 0; on American tables, there are two additional green pockets marked 00. The dealer places a small ball in the wheel’s rotator, which spins it until it comes to rest in one of the compartments. Before the ball is rolled, players must decide which number or grouping of numbers they wish to bet on by placing chips on a roulette betting mat. The precise placement of the chips correlates with the type of bet being made, and it is important to place them correctly if you want to follow a winning strategy for roulette. Once all bets are placed, the croupier spins the roulette wheel and announces the winning number, paying out winners automatically. The wheel is operated by a mechanism that is balanced perfectly, and the ball never hits anything but the pockets – it doesn’t bounce or roll off the edge of the rim. While there are many fanciful stories about the game’s origin, it was most likely invented by the 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal, or by Chinese monks who brought it to France in the 18th century. It is now a favorite in casinos and gambling dens worldwide. Roulette is available at most online casinos, including those that specialize in live dealer games. In these versions, you place your bets through your computer or smartphone and the table is handled in real-time by a human croupier. Most of the game is identical to that found in land-based casinos, with a few exceptions. For example, some online roulette sites offer the “La Partage” rule, which reduces the house edge on even money bets to just 1.35%. While the odds of hitting a number are still against you, this is a significant improvement over the house edge in standard roulette.