Roulette is a casino game that combines luck, skill and strategy. Players can bet on a single number, various groupings of numbers, the color red or black and whether it is odd or even. The rules of the game are simple to understand, but the strategy involved can be complicated. A good understanding of the odds is essential for winning.
Roulette was likely invented by French mathematician Blaise Pascal, although fanciful stories about its origin abound. The game evolved in Europe during the 17th century, becoming popular in casinos and gambling houses. In the United States, where it arrived with European immigrants, the game took on its own personality in gambling dens. The American version of the game was modified to prevent cheating devices, such as hidden compartments in the wheel and table, from being inserted by gamblers.
In the game of Roullete, a dealer spins a wheel in one direction and rolls a ball in the opposite direction around a tilted circular track that runs around the outside of the wheel. The dealer then places a marker on the winning number or winning chips and clears off losing bets before a new round begins. The game is played with a small, light ball that is usually made of synthetic ivory-like material. However, in recent years professional roulette balls have been made of resin, Teflon and ceramic. The differences in the size, weight and material of the ball have a significant impact on the game. A light, ceramic ball makes more revolutions on the wheel and jumps more unpredictably before it lands than a heavy ivorine ball would.
The wheel consists of a solid disk slightly convex in shape with 37 numbered pockets that alternate between red and black. A special compartment, called a ‘zero’ pocket, is positioned between the other 36 numbered pockets on European wheels, and two green ones on American wheels, making 38 total pockets. The compartments are painted alternately red and black, except for the 0 and 00, which are green.
Before the game starts, a player should choose a table within his or her betting budget. Each roulette table carries a placard that indicates the minimum and maximum bets allowed. Generally speaking, the minimum bets on outside bets are higher than those on inside bets. Moreover, the minimum bets on the’street’ bets (rows of 3 numbers) are usually lower than those on individual digit bets.
After placing a bet, the player gives the dealer coloured chips that have a value equal to the table’s minimum bet. In the next rotation of the wheel, the dealer will place the coloured chips on the appropriate betting area.