Roulette is one of the most popular gambling games around. It’s a simple game that relies entirely on chance, and it can be found at virtually every casino. Players place their chips on a special table, and then watch as the wheel spins and the ball drops into a slot marked with a number. It’s a truly thrilling game, and it’s no wonder that people love to play it so much.
The roulette wheel consists of a solid, slightly convex disk with metal partitions (called frets or compartments by croupiers) on its rim, with thirty-six of these compartments, painted alternately red and black, plus a single green compartment called ‘the zero’ or ‘double zero’ on American wheels. A croupier spins the wheel, and a small ball is dropped into a pocket that marks a specific number. If you made a bet on that number, then you’ve won!
Before the dealer spins the wheel, however, players make their bets by placing their chips on a betting mat, with precise locations marking where each bet is being placed. The odds of winning a bet are also indicated on the mat, with outside bets paying out at higher odds than inside bets.
Dozens Bet: This is also known as douzaine in French, and you’re wagering that the winning number will be either the first or second dozen on the layout, or the third and final one. It’s an even-money bet that pays 2-1, but you lose if the ball lands on the 0 or 00.
Columns Bet: Similar to the Dozens bet, but with your chips positioned to cover six numbers on the row. This bet also pays 2-1, but you lose if any of the numbers on the row are doubles or triples.
High or Low Bet: Also called passe et manque in French, this bet is the same as an odd or even bet except that you’re wagering on whether the winning number will be in the first 18 or last 18 numbers on the layout. Again, if the ball lands on a 0 or 00, you lose.