Roulette is a game in which a small ball rolls around a revolving wheel and people place bets on which red or black numbered compartment it will enter as it comes to rest. Bets can be placed on a single number, various groupings of numbers, the color red or black, whether the number is odd or even, or if it is high (19-36) or low (1-18). The game emerged in Europe during the 18th century and became one of the most popular casino games in the world.
The game of roulette brings glamour, mystery and excitement to the casino floor. It has simple rules and a surprising level of depth for serious betters.
Before placing your chips, familiarize yourself with the different bet types and their odds. It’s important to choose a bet type you are comfortable with and can afford to lose, as roulette is a highly volatile game. For example, inside bets have a lower house edge but smaller payouts than outside bets.
It is also a good idea to set a budget before entering the casino, and to choose a table within your budget. Each table carries a placard with the minimum and maximum bets allowed. Most casinos have a $5 minimum for inside bets and a maximum of $500 for outside bets.
Roulette is a classic casino game, but it doesn’t draw big crowds like slot machines, video poker or blackjack. In America, it is often overshadowed by more popular games, but in Europe, it still draws a large and devoted following. In fact, it is one of the mainstays of Monte Carlo and other European resorts.
The roulette wheel is a solid, convex disk with a slightly raised rim around which are metal partitions (known as frets or pockets) that are painted alternately red and black. Thirty-six of these compartments, referred to as canoes by roulette croupiers, are numbered nonconsecutively from 1 through 36; the compartments labelled 0 and 00 on European wheels are painted green.
The earliest written reference to roulette is from the 17th century, but the game’s roots are unclear. Fanciful theories include that it was invented by the 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal or by Dominican monks. In any event, the game’s popularity grew quickly throughout Europe and reached the United States after it was banned in France from 1836 to 1933. In Europe, the game is played on a variety of tables with either a single or double zero. The latter greatly reduces the house edge, but there are still some differences in how bets pay out between American and European roulette.