Roulette is one of the most popular casino games in the world. Its simple game play based on luck has made it a top choice at online casinos and land-based establishments alike. The croupier spins a roulette wheel and a small ball drops into a compartment on the wheel that corresponds to a bet placed by the players. Bets can be made on a single number, various groupsings of numbers, the color red or black and whether the number is odd or even. During the course of a spin, players may make new bets as the ball drops into the compartments on the roulette wheel.
The Roulette wheel consists of a solid wood disk slightly convex in shape with thirty-six metal compartments, alternately painted red and black, around its edge. There is also a green division that bears the number zero on European-style wheels and two additional green ones marked 0 and 00 on American tables. The wheel is surrounded by a wooden base, with the betting table located on the outside of it.
Before a spin, the player places his or her chips on the roulette table. When the game is in progress, the dealer will place a little “puck” on the table. This is a marker that indicates the last decision. The dealer will then signal the table to be re-open and the betting begins.
The croupier then tosses the ball into the spinning wheel. The wheel slows the ball down as it moves and then, when the ball comes to rest in a compartment, if the player has bet on that number, grouping of numbers, or on whether the wheel will be red or black, the player wins. Other bets, such as those on the first, second and third dozen, pay out at lower odds. These bets are referred to as “Outside bets.”