Roulette is a game that involves spinning a wheel with numbered slots and betting on where the ball will land when it stops. You place your chips on the table for your preferred bet, and then a croupier spins the wheel and rolls a small ball into one of the pockets. The pocket that the ball settles in determines the winning number and pays out accordingly.
Each roulette table carries a placard that describes the minimum and maximum bets allowed. Choose a table that offers bets within your budget, and always bet only the amount you can afford to lose. You should also try to wager on outside bets, which are cheaper and have a higher probability of winning than inside bets.
The roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk, slightly convex in shape and with thirty-six compartments or pockets (known as canoes by croupiers) painted alternately red and black. The pockets are separated by metal partitions, or frets, and are arranged non-consecutively from 1 to 36. The 37th compartment, painted green, carries the zero; and on American wheels two green pockets are present.
There are several variations of the game, but most of them feature a similar layout and wheel structure. The earliest version of the game was developed in France, and the French single-zero version is the basis for most of the games that have since spread around the world.
When a bet is placed, the dealer clears all losing chips from the table and places a marker on the winning number. The winning bets are then paid out, and play begins again with new bets.
In most casinos, you can enjoy a game of roulette in the real money mode. You can even find some live roulette video games, where you can place your bets in real time and watch a live dealer.
While there are many myths and fanciful stories about the origins of roulette, it is generally agreed that the game evolved from earlier games such as Biribi. The first mention of the game under its current name dates to 1716, and roulette quickly became a popular casino game in Europe.
Despite its simple rules, the game is a drain on your bankroll. While the odds of hitting a straight bet on any number are 37 to 1, the house only pays 35 to 1. This discrepancy is how the game makes its money. Fortunately, you can lower the house edge by choosing a roulette table with a “la partage” rule, which reduces the house edge to just 1.35% on even money bets.