Roullete is a gambling game in which a croupier throws a ball around a wheel and watches as it bounces and settles into a pocket. The ball is then tossed again and again, until the croupier announces “no more bets.”
Roulette has been popular in casinos for hundreds of years. Its rules are relatively simple and easy to understand, but there is a surprising level of strategy that can reap high rewards for serious betters.
The Wheel
A roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk with metal partitions around the rim. The partitions divide the ring into compartments painted either red or black. The compartments are numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36 on European-style wheels and 0 and 00 on American-style wheels.
The numbers are randomized all the way around the wheel, and they alternate between red and black colors as well as between even and odd numbers. This means that the wheel can spin both clockwise and counter-clockwise.
Players place their bets on a specific number or grouping of numbers and pay out depending on the outcome. They can choose to bet on one number, the color red or black, whether the number is odd or even, and if the numbers are high (19-36) or low (1-18).
There are also outside bets which can be placed on different categories of numbers rather than on specific numbers. These are usually cheaper and have a higher chance of hitting than individual digits.
The Street Bet/Three Number Bet/Side Bet/The Trio: This is a simple bet that places your chip(s) on the outside border of three consecutive numbers on the table layout. If any of these three numbers wins, your bet pays 11-1.
Split Bet: This is a bet that straddles the line between two numbers on the layout. It’s a good bet for beginners because it offers a lower payout than a straight bet and doesn’t require you to place your chips on a specific number.
Besides the main bets, there are other betting options available to players such as corner bets or square bets. The corner bet is a bet on four of the numbers in a row on the board, and the square bet is a bet that involves all the numbers on a single row.