Roullete, which is pronounced row-LET-ay, has offered glamour, mystery and excitement to casino-goers since the 17th century. The game is simple enough for novices to play and yet provides a surprising level of depth for serious gamblers. The key to winning at roulette is understanding bet types and which ones offer the highest chance of success.
To begin, choose a table within your budget and decide what type of bet you want to make. Each roulette table carries a placard describing the minimum and maximum bets allowed. The minimum bet is generally the lowest amount required to place an inside bet (a bet on a single number) and the maximum bet for outside bets (which cover a grouping of numbers). Once you know how much you’re willing to spend, purchase a roulette chip from your dealer. (Roulette chips are different from standard casino chips; they’re colored to designate their value. Each player receives a set of chips, so that dealers can distinguish between bettors.)
When the ball lands in one of the compartments, the player who has bet on that number or a related grouping (red or black, odd or even) wins. The game’s symmetry also offers players the option of betting on groups of numbers that pay out at higher odds, such as the first or second dozen.
A typical roulette wheel consists of thirty-six numbered pockets alternating between red and black, with a green pocket for the zero (or 00 in American roulette). On European wheels, the numbers are not arranged in a consecutive order; they’re painted alternately in either red or black. On the outer edge of the wheel are metal separators or frets, with the individual compartments called “canoes” by roulette croupiers.
The wheel, when spun, will inevitably land on one of the numbered compartments. When this happens, the croupier will immediately clear all losing bets from the table and pay any winners before starting the next spin. The dealer will then place a marker on the winning number, and any bets placed in that location will be returned to the original players.
The house edge for a straight-up bet on a single number is 2.70%, but this can be reduced to 2.60% if the player opts for La Partage, which splits even money bets between the dealer and the player. Regardless, the game remains fun and fast-paced, and it is found in casinos everywhere around the world.