Roulette is one of the most popular casino games in the world. It has offered glamour, mystery, and excitement to players since the 17th century. The rules of the game are simple and easy to understand, but there are a surprising number of options for serious betters who want to add some edge to their play.
A roulette wheel consists of a wooden disk with metal partitions, known as frets or separators, around its rim. The compartments between the frets are called canoes by croupiers, and each canoe has a colored number alternating between red and black. The canoes are numbered from 1 to 36 on European-style wheels and from 0 to 00 on American-style ones.
There are two main ways to bet in roulette: on the numbers or on positional groupings of pockets. Various bets can be placed on these categories of numbers or pockets, and the payouts vary by number of pockets in a group.
Inside Bets:
The numbers on the roulette layout are divided into dozens (one, two, and three) and columns. The croupier will throw the ball into the wheel and watch as it spins and settles in a pocket that marks a winning number.
Outside Bets:
These bets are more conservative and do not pay as much, but they offer a lower risk. You can also place a bet on a number that isn’t part of the layout, but has a high probability of winning.
Split Bet: The name is a bit confusing because it isn’t actually a separate bet. It is a combination of a street bet and a six-number bet. You make this bet by placing your chip(s) on the outside border of a row of numbers. The payout is 17-1 if the first three numbers are a win, but only 11-1 if either number is a win.
The Street Bet: A similar bet to the split bet, this is a bet that straddles a line between two numbers on the layout. The payout is 17-1 if both of these numbers are a win, and 11-1 if one of them is a win.
High or Low Bet: This is a straight-up bet on any of the first 18 numbers on the layout (1-18) or any of the last 18 numbers (19-36). If the 0 or 00 comes up, you lose.
Other Bets:
There are several different kinds of bets in roulette, including the even-money proposition bet and the odd-money proposition bet. A wager on a single number can be made with a small amount of money, but it is more profitable to place larger bets. In addition, some bets can result in a large payout if they are won.