Roulette is one of the most popular casino games worldwide. This simple game of chance is based on luck and has offered glamour, mystery and excitement to casino-goers since the 17th century. But while it appears to be a straightforward game, there is an unexpected level of depth for serious betters and the right strategy can reap high rewards.
A Roulette Wheel
A roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk, slightly convex in shape, with metal compartments, or “frets,” around its rim. Thirty-six of these compartments, painted alternately red and black, are numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. A 37th compartment, painted green, carries the sign 0 and two adjacent compartments, painted red and painted green, carry the signs 00 and 1. The roulette wheel is perfectly balanced and spins effortlessly on an axle with no apparent effort.
The Roulette Ball
The roulette ball is a small, round object made of ivory or resin that sits in the center of the roulette table. It is spun by the croupier and then drops into one of the thirty-six pockets on the roulette table, which are marked off in sections affording players a variety of betting options. The ball may land on a single number, a group of numbers, or even an entire color or pattern of the table. The odds of a particular bet are determined by the type of wager and its relative position on the table.
Roulette Rules and Bets
Although there are many different variations of the roulette game, it has basically the same rules. Each player gets a colored set of chips, and when the dealer announces, “Place your bets,” it is time to put down your bets. The dealer then tells you how much each chip is worth, and places a marker on the table to indicate its value.
While some people think that spreading bets on various numbers and colors will improve their chances of winning, the expected winnings are the same no matter how they are spread. The only difference is that spreading them will minimize the variance of the results, which is a good thing, but it doesn’t change the fact that roulette is a game of pure chance and skill.
When the game is over, you tell the dealer that you’d like to cash in your chips and she will give you normal casino chips of the same value. You should always keep your roulette chips separate from other casino chips. This will help you differentiate between your roulette bets and those of other players, even spouses.
When playing roulette, the house edge is a percentage of your total bet. It can be as low as 2.7% on a European roulette wheel with no zero, or as high as 5.26% on an American double-zero roulette wheel. To lower the house edge, you should play inside bets (bets on specific numbers), instead of outside bets (bets placed on groups of numbers). The house edge can also vary from casino to casino, and it depends on whether the casino has a la partage rule in effect.