Roulette is a game of chance in which players place bets on one or more single numbers, multiple groups (odd/even), colors red or black or combinations thereof. Odds of winning depend on the type of bet placed, table minimum/maximum betting limits and betting strategies used – they all boil down to correctly guessing where the ball will land when spun by dealer and released by wheel.

Before each roulette spin, a croupier clears away any evidence from previous rounds and dealers begin placing bets on the table map. Each player receives colored chips which correspond with how much money they wish to wager for this particular game; roulette chips differ from standard casino chips as they feature values marked on them that help dealers identify individual players more quickly.

The roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk that has a slight convex shape, featuring a circular track on its outer edge. This track consists of 36 compartments known as separators or frets by roulette croupiers; alternate red and black paint colors fill these compartments, with 1 through 36 numbers written nonconsecutively around its perimeter. European-style wheels contain an additional green compartment painted as 0, while American variants feature two additional green compartments carrying those numbers (00).

Once all bets have been made, the croupier spins the roulette wheel before tossing in a small metal ball which bounces along its inner rim until landing into one of the pockets – winning players are those whose bet was placed on this number!

Many theories exist regarding the development and origins of roulette, from being introduced by Blaise Pascal as an intellectual exercise in 17th-century France, through Dominican monks bringing it from Italy, and eventually spreading around Europe by monks themselves. More likely is its evolution from earlier games such as hoca or portique before eventually taking its current form worldwide due to its glamour, mystery and excitement.