Roulette is one of the most popular casino games, offering glamour, mystery and excitement to casino-goers since its 17th century debut. Its rules are relatively simple and its payouts surprisingly high, but the game offers a surprising depth of strategy for serious betters. The key to making the most out of your Roullete experience is understanding what bets are best suited for you and which have the lowest house edge.
Before you place your chips on the table, be sure to set a budget for how much you want to spend on each game. Each roulette table carries a placard outlining the minimum and maximum bets allowed. This information is very important to know before you start betting, because your bankroll will be affected significantly by the type of bet you choose to make. For example, if you place a bet on “outside bets” (groups of numbers instead of individual digits) they are usually cheaper and offer a higher chance of hitting than the more expensive ‘inside bets’.
The Roulette Wheel
Despite the many fanciful theories on how the game of Roullete came about, the basic structure of the roulette wheel was conceived in the 17th century by French physicist Blaise Pascal as part of his quest to find a perpetual motion machine. The wheel consists of a static bowl-like disc with 38 pockets (called compartments by roulette croupiers) numbered non-consecutively from 1 to 36, plus the 0 and 00 on American wheels. The number pockets are alternately painted red and black, while the 0 and 00 are green.
When play begins, the croupier will spin the wheel and throw a small ball into it as it rotates. The ball then bounces around the wheel and settles into a pocket that marks a specific number. If you placed a bet on that number, you’ve won.
Even-money bets (those that pay out 1-1 when the winning number is chosen) are paid out first, followed by any other bets. Once all bets are settled, the dealer clears the losing bets off of the table and pays the winners. If you are a loser, it is recommended that you cash out your winnings as quickly as possible to avoid dipping into future bets with your remaining chips.