Roulette is a casino game that involves spinning a wheel and betting on the results. It is a popular game with both players and casino operators worldwide, and has been around since the 17th century. The basic rules of the game are relatively simple and easy to understand, but there is a surprising level of depth for serious betters.
How to Play
The roulette table consists of a wheel, the wagering area and the chips. You place your chips on the table and tell the dealer how much you are betting. After the dealer clears the table of all winning and losing bets, she will give you normal casino chips for your winnings.
A roulette wheel consists of 37 slots that are numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36 in alternating red and black. It also has a green division numbered 0 on European roulette wheels and two green divisions numbered 00 on American wheels.
How to Bet on the Wheel
Before the croupier spins the roulette wheel, you can place your bets. These can be in the form of individual digits, groups of numbers or groupings of both. Each bet can cost you a specific amount of chips depending on the number of digits you are betting on.
When the ball lands in one of the slots, you win your bet if you are right. If you are wrong, your bet is refunded.
You can also place a bet on whether the ball will land in a red or black pocket, the number or the type of number. The payout for a bet on red or black is usually 3.5 to 1, while the payout for a bet on other colors is lower.
In the US, most roulette games are called “American” because they use a double zero wheel. This version of the game has a lower house edge than the European game, but it does not have the same variety of bets. Most European casinos offer both versions of the game. Some of these versions can be played online, so you don’t have to travel to a land-based casino to enjoy roulette.