How to Win at Roulette

Roulette has offered glamour and mystery to casino-goers since the 17th century, but this simple game of chance is also surprisingly deep with a variety of betting strategies that can reap big rewards. A basic understanding of the rules and betting options will make this easy to understand game your go-to when it comes to table gaming.

Roulette consists of a wheel that has thirty-six compartments, painted alternately red and black and numbered consecutively from 1 to 36. A green compartment carries the number 0, and two green ones on opposite sides of the wheel carry the numbers 00. A croupier spins the wheel, and a small ball, made of ivory or plastic, drops into one of the compartments. If the ball rests in your wagered column or dozens section, you win.

The earliest roulette wheels had black and red compartments, but by the 1790s they had shifted to the single-zero format which is still used in most modern casinos and gambling dens. This gave the game its reputation as a game of pure chance and boosted its popularity in Europe. In America, a double-zero version was developed that brought roulette into the illegal gambling dens of New Orleans.

When you arrive at a roulette table, you’ll see that the dealer has already distributed a set of special colored chips to each player. These chips are used only for betting and do not have any other value away from the table. When you’re ready to cash out your winnings, you place them on the table and tell the dealer what they are worth. Then, the dealer will give you normal casino chips to replace them. You can also bet with a combination of both types of chips, but this will increase your total bet amount and may make it harder to hit your desired wins. This is why it’s advisable to stick with outside bets, which are easier to win than the inside bets.