Roulette is a game that has offered glamour, mystery, and excitement to casino-goers since the 17th century. Its rules are simple and easy to understand, but the game has a surprising level of depth for serious betters.
The Game
Players place bets on various groups of numbers or pockets on the roulette table layout. Then, the croupier spins the wheel. Once the ball settles into one of the pockets, the croupier announces a winner.
How the Game Works
The roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape and covered with metal partitions known as separators or frets. The compartments or pockets between these are called canoes by croupiers and carry the nonconsecutive numbers, alternately red and black, from 1 to 36, on European-style wheels and from 0 and 00 on American-style wheels. The wheel has a spindle that is perfectly balanced and rotates smoothly in an almost frictionless manner.
How to Play the Game
When a player places a bet, they will be given a chip. The chip can be placed in any of the many pockets on the roulette table map, but it is important to remember that the croupier will only accept the number of chips needed to complete a particular bet.
There are several different types of bets in roulette, and all require the player to choose the number of chips they want to place on it. These include the Dozens Bet (also known as douzaine in French), the Odd or Even Bet, and the High or Low Bet.
The odds for these bets are based on the probability of each individual number appearing. Some of these bets have higher payout odds than others. For example, the Odd or Even bet has a payout of 2-1. Other bets pay less, though they offer the same winning chances.