Roullete, also known as roulette, is a casino game in which a small ball is spun around a revolving wheel and placed into one of a series of colored compartments containing numbered slots. Players make bets on the compartment into which the ball will come to rest by laying chips on a specially marked betting mat. Various bets may be made, including individual numbers and groups of numbers that pay off at lower odds. The game originated in Europe during the 18th century. There are many fanciful theories about its invention, including that it was invented by 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal or by Chinese monks. The roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape with metal partitions or frets around its circumference and 37 individual, nonconsecutive red and black compartments numbered 1 through 36. The wheel also has two green compartments, numbered 0 and 00 on American tables.
Before a spin, the dealer clears the table and pays out winning bets, then announces “No more bets!” or similar words. Then, the dealer spins the wheel and releases the ball. The ball eventually drops into a slot, and the winner is determined. If the player had wagered on a number, the amount paid is the total of the payouts for all other bets on that number, which must equal or exceed the original bet. If the bet is on a grouping of numbers, it is called an outside bet.
The best strategy for roulette is to stick with simple bets and avoid complicated systems that are designed to beat the house. In the long run, skill is not an important factor in determining a winner, and, barring special circumstances, no system can overcome the built-in advantage of the casino.
During the game, players give money to the dealer by placing it on the table and asking for “colour.” The dealer then gives the player coloured roulette chips of value equal to that amount. During the course of a game, players can change their bets, but not their initial stake. The minimum bet is one chip. A player may also buy additional colour chips from the dealer.