Roullete, also known as Roulette, is a gambling game that involves spinning a small ball in the opposite direction of a revolving wheel and placing bets on which red or black numbered compartment the ball will enter as it comes to rest. Bets may be placed on a single number or various groupings of numbers and are paid off at different odds depending on the bet type.
Roulette was first played in the casinos of Europe during the late 18th century. It has since become one of the most popular casino games in the world. Roulette is a game of chance and its rules are simple. A croupier spins the wheel while players place bets on specific numbers, groups of numbers or colors on the betting table. Once all bets are in, the dealer throws a ball into the rotating wheel and winners are awarded according to their bets.
While the wheels on which the game is played appear to be random, a careful observer will notice that there is a pattern to the distribution of the numbers. The odd and even numbers alternate and there is a green division labelled zero (On American tables only). A discerning eye will also note that the 0 is located away from the columns and rows of other numbers so that it does not cause the same number to appear twice in a row.
The payouts for winning bets in Roulette are based on the odds of the individual numbers, and vary from a maximum of 392 chips for a straight-up bet to a minimum of 35 chips for a split bet between two adjacent numbers. It is possible to determine the odds of a bet by looking at the layout of the numbers on the Roulette table and the position of the wheelhead relative to the pockets.
Although many people try to ‘game the system’ by watching published wheel results, it is important to remember that probability states that the odds of hitting a specific number on a Roulette wheel remain the same regardless of previous results. Hence it is best to avoid straight bets altogether and make outside bets which pay out at much lower odds.
When playing Roulette, it is important to set a budget before entering the casino and choose a table within that limit. Each Roulette table carries a placard describing the minimum and maximum betting limits.
Players should also keep in mind that the house edge on inside bets is higher than the house edge on outside bets. Lastly, players should be aware of the fact that they cannot make multiple bets at once and must either select the number or the colour to bet on.