Roulette has offered glamour, mystery and excitement to casino-goers since the 17th century. Its rules are simple and straightforward, but it also offers a surprising depth of strategy for serious betters.
The game of Roullete is played on a table marked off into several sections affording players various betting opportunities, having in the center a revolving dishlike device (called a roulette wheel) with 36 numbers plus a zero and sometimes a double zero. A croupier spins a small ball around the wheel and the ball eventually stops in one of the compartments on the wheel. Bets are placed on different parts of the table, correlating to the number in which the ball is likely to land.
A bet made on a single number or groupings of numbers is the most common and easiest to place. You can also bet on the color red or black, whether a number is odd or even, and whether a numbered sector of the wheel (such as the second dozen) is high or low. A player who correctly guesses the number or type of bet wins.
When you want to place a bet, give your dealer (known as a croupier) the amount of money you wish to bet with by placing it on the table and asking for “color.” The dealer will then give you coloured chips that match the denomination you have designated. The purpose of the colour chips is to help you keep track of your bets. Each person who is playing at the table receives a different colour. This helps you to differentiate your bets from those of other players.
The physics of the roulette wheel and ball make it very difficult to predict where the ball will eventually land. During its rotation, the ball loses momentum and bounces unpredictably, creating an environment where luck plays a significant role in determining the outcome of each spin. Although some players try to beat the maths of roulette by looking for rigged wheels, or betting opposite large bets, these methods are usually only marginally effective. A quick Google search will yield many systems for beating roulette — some well described, others not so much.