Roulette is one of the most popular casino games in Europe. However, it is not as popular in America, where newer games like video poker and blackjack have outpaced it. Still, it draws a crowd at Monte Carlo and other casino resorts. There is also a strong following for the game in online casinos, where players can make bets from anywhere in the world.
The game of Roullete (pronounced: ro-LEET) involves spinning a ball around a revolving wheel and placing bets on which red or black numbered compartment the ball will enter when it comes to rest. Bets can be made on a single number, various combinations of numbers, or on groups of numbers (called Outside bets). Each type of bet pays off at different odds.
A croupier spins the roulette wheel and a small ball is dropped into one of the compartments where bets have been placed. The croupier then calls out the winning number and pays or collects the bets.
Each roulette table carries a placard that describes the minimum and maximum bets allowed. Generally, the minimum bet is a dollar or less and the maximum bet is an amount much larger.
Before the croupier spins the wheel, players place their bets by laying chips on the betting mat. The precise placement of the chips indicates the bet being placed. When a player gives the dealer his or her money, the dealer will return coloured chips equal to that value, with the color indicating the bet being placed.
The roulette wheel consists of a solid, slightly convex disk divided into thirty-six compartments (called canoes by the croupiers) that are painted alternately red and black. A number is assigned to each compartment, and there is a second green division on American wheels labelled 0.
The symmetries of the roulette wheel are remarkable. The low red and high black numbers are on opposite sides of the zero, and there are two distinct dozens: the first dozen contains no numbers between 13 and 24, while the second includes all of the remaining numbers except 24.