Roulette is a casino game in which players bet on which number or grouping of numbers they think will appear when a small ball is dropped onto a revolving wheel. The croupier spins the wheel and when it stops, if the bet was a winner, the player receives a payout according to their odds.
The game can be played with a standard roulette table or on a live dealer platform. The latter is particularly useful for online casinos with limited floor space, since the dealer can still be present at the roulette table to facilitate betting. In either case, players can use the bet button to select their chips and the Spin button to launch the roulette wheel. The results will be displayed in a few seconds, with payouts automatically granted.
Before deciding on a bet, players should familiarize themselves with the procedure of a roulette round. Once the game is in between decisions, the dealer will announce that betting for the current round is closed, and will clear losing bets off the table before starting a new one. Then, the winning bets will be paid out and the dealers will distribute new chips to each player.
Different variations of the roulette game have slightly different rules, but most allow players to place outside bets that cover a larger area of the wheel. These include bets on red, black, odd or even, and dozens. The house edge for these bets is lower than that of the single-zero wheel, but it still exists.
In some variations of the game, the house edge can be further reduced by introducing the en prison or la partage rule. These rules mean that any bets that lose to the zero pocket are only lost half their original amount, rather than being completely wiped out. These rules can make a significant difference to the outcome of a roulette game, so players should always check whether the games they play offer them.
There are many theories about the origins of the game, including that it was invented by 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal and by Dominican monks. Whatever its true origin, there is no doubt that roulette has long been a popular gambling game around the world. Roulette is easy to learn and can be very rewarding, as long as you know what to look out for.