Roulette is a casino game that offers glamour and mystery, and has many betting options. It is easy enough for beginners to learn, yet it can provide a surprising depth of strategy for serious betters. The rules of Roullete are relatively simple and the game is a favorite among players from all over the world.
To play roulette, players place bets by placing chips on a special table mat. The precise location of each chip indicates the type of bet being made. Bets on numbers or groups of numbers are called “Inside bets” while bets on a single number, on the zero, or on the columns and rows are called “Outside bets”. A winning bet is paid out according to the payout table. Losing bets are cleared off the table and the game continues with another round of betting.
During a spin, the croupier spins a wheel and then rolls a ball into one of the pockets on the roulette table. The pocket that the ball settles in determines the winning number. After the winning number is determined, the croupier pays out the winners and removes the losing bets from the table. The dealer then clears the table for the next spin.
Roulette balls used to be made of ivory, but today most professional ones are made from resin or Teflon. The material, size and weight of the ball all affect how it rolls around the wheel. A small light ceramic ball tends to make more revolutions on the wheel and jumps more unpredictably than a large ivorine ball, making it harder for a player to predict where the ball will land.
The earliest references to roulette date from the 17th century, but the game was likely derived from older games like hoca and portique. It became a popular casino game in the United States and France during the 19th century. There are fanciful stories that it was invented by a French mathematician, Blaise Pascal, or by Dominican monks. The game was adapted to American casinos by removing the double zero from the roulette wheel and replacing it with a separate green compartment marked 0. The US version of the game also added a second green compartment numbered 00.