Roulette (French for “wheel”) is a gambling game in which players place bets on which of the 37 compartments of a rotating wheel a small ball will come to rest as it slows and drops onto it. Odds of winning depend on both type and number of bets placed. Roulette has long been considered an exciting casino staple that provides glamour, mystery and high rewards; even when house advantage exists.
Bets are placed by placing chips on the table in such a way as to indicate where each bet should go; their precise placement indicates what bet has been made. Betting on one number alone is considered an “inside bet”, while bets involving multiple numbers constitute “outside bets”. Outside bets typically cost less than their inside counterparts but offer smaller returns.
A wheel is a solid wooden disk with slightly convex edges, decorated with metal partitions known as frets or compartments and painted alternately red and black. European-style wheels contain thirty-six of these compartments numbered from 1 to 36; on American wheels two green compartments with numbers marked 0 and 00 also exist.
Roulette wheels are typically accompanied by tables displaying names and colors of different bet types. Before the dealer spins the wheel, players place their bets using colored chips corresponding to various bet types on the table map before spinning the wheel itself and releasing a small ball that falls onto a number corresponding to their bet – this results in winning chances for each individual player!
Fanciful tales exist about the invention of roulette, such as it being created in 17th-century France by Blaise Pascal and Dominican monk Blaise de Saint-Pierre respectively. But it was only during the 19th century when its current form emerged and quickly become a casino game throughout Europe and beyond.
Though the basic rules of roulette may seem straightforward, its diverse betting options provide ample opportunities for strategy. Before playing, determine your bankroll-based betting unit size and stick with it for best results – this way you will minimize losses while increasing winnings! Avoid grandiose or complicated strategies as roulette is a game of chance and winning requires both persistence and discipline to become successful at it. When ready, choose an affordable roulette table within budget then place your bets – remembering that when the wheel stops turning the dealer will announce “no more bets”, eliminating any chance for cheating!