Roullete is a casino game in which a small ball rolls around a revolving wheel and people bet on what number it will land on. Bets can be placed on individual numbers, various groupings of numbers, red or black, odd or even, high or low and more.
Roulette has offered glamour, mystery and excitement to casino-goers since the 17th century. Its rules are simple enough for casual gamblers, but it also offers a surprising depth of strategy for serious betters.
The Roulette Wheel
A roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape, with metal partitions or frets that ring its circumference. Thirty-six of these compartments, painted alternately red and black, are numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36; an extra green compartment carries the number 0 on European wheels, and two additional green pockets on American wheels carry the numbers 00. A small, light ceramic ball is placed inside the wheel and spun until it comes to rest within one of the numbered compartments.
Before the ball is rolled, players place their bets by laying chips on a betting mat with precise placement signifying the type of bet. The chips are then moved to the table when the dealer clears the betting area from the previous round.
Players can choose from a variety of bet types, each with a different house edge and payout. For the best odds, it is important to understand these bet types before placing your bets. Inside bets, for example, pay out more often but have a higher house edge than outside bets.
Some online casinos offer live roulette, in which a person plays against a real human dealer in a casino environment via video camera and a streaming platform. This technology enables the player to bet through a keyboard or smartphone, but the actual roulette game is handled in real time by a trained croupier. The advantage of this format is that it allows the player to interact with the dealer and other players at the table, making the experience more authentic. However, this type of online roulette usually requires a larger budget than standard computer-generated games. Nevertheless, some players prefer this style of play.