Roullete is one of the world’s most popular casino games. Its simple rules and low house edge make it a fun choice for all types of players, but it also provides a surprising level of depth for serious betters. If you’re looking to play this game with confidence, read on to learn everything you need to know before putting your chips down.
The game starts when a dealer or croupier (the game’s name is French for “little wheel”) clears the table of losing bets and announces, “No more bets.” You then place your chips on the roulette board within your budget. The dealer will ask you what denominations to designate for each chip, and will then hand you a special colored chip that represents your bet. The dealer will also give you a pencil to keep track of your winnings.
After the bets have been placed, the croupier spins the roulette wheel. The ball then bounces around the wheel until it settles in a pocket marked with a number. If your bet correctly predicted that number – or its color (red or black) or whether it was odd or even – you win.
If the ball lands on a 0, 00, or any of the other two green compartments on American wheels, all outside bets lose. This is called the “house edge,” and it gives casinos an advantage over players. Fortunately, the house edge is significantly lower in Europe, where there’s only a single zero.
While there are fanciful stories of the game’s origin – including the 17th-century mathematician Blaise Pascal and Dominican monks – it was only in the late 18th century that the current layout and wheel structure became standard. The game spread across Europe with aristocratic glamour and leisure, and soon made its way to America by sea.
The wheel itself is a solid, convex disk with thirty-six metal partitions or frets that are painted alternately red and black. On European-style wheels, a 37th compartment, painted green, carries the number 0; on American-style wheels, there are two green compartments labeled 00. The spinning disc is balanced by an equally weighted and precisely placed metal rod known as a rotor. The rotor’s spindle is perfectly balanced, so the wheel rotates smoothly with no friction. The numbered slots are arranged in groups of 12 numbers, or dozens. A bettor may choose to bet on either the first, second, or third dozens.