The Basics of Roulette

Roulette is a popular casino game offering glamour, mystery and excitement to players. The rules of the game are simple and easy to understand but there is a surprising level of depth for serious betters who use a well thought-out strategy. To make the most of your experience and maximise your chances of winning you should familiarise yourself with all bet types, house edge, odds and payouts.

The game is played on a table marked off in sections with numbers from 1 to 36, one or two zeros and several other divisions affording a variety of betting opportunities. A revolving dish-like device, called a roulette wheel, is in the centre of the table. A small ball is spun around the wheel and when it stops, the segment containing the number or colors selected by the player wins.

In the early days of roulette, players were encouraged to place their chips anywhere on the layout, including the outside betting area which offered higher odds of winning. However, a dealer would announce ’no more bets’ when the wheel and ball were about to stop, this prevented players from placing late bets as the wheel was coming to a close. The practice was enshrined in law in the US and Canada to prevent cheating.

Players place their chips on the roulette table in front of them, a dealer then spins the wheel and throws a small ball into motion. As the wheel and ball come to a stop, the winning numbers are revealed. If a player has placed a bet on the winning number, colour or odd/even they win and their chips are removed from the table. The dealer will then pay the winners and the process begins again.

Roulette has been a favourite game in casinos and gambling dens around the world since the 17th century, although its exact origin is not known. Fanciful stories include that it was invented by the French mathematician Blaise Pascal, by Dominican monks or by Chinese envoys.

It is a relatively simple game to play, with the players making bets on a grid-like layout that represents the numbers on a standard European roulette wheel. The bets can be made either on individual numbers or on groups of numbers, such as red and black or odd and even. A common misconception is that the house edge for Roulette is higher than in other games, but this is not true. The house edge for Roulette is actually lower than in most other casino games because of the “La Partage” rule which splits even money bets between the player and the casino.