Roullete is a gambling game in which players place bets on which red or black numbered compartment of a revolving wheel a small ball will come to rest in as it spins and slows down. The game is derived from older games of chance such as hoca and portique, with the modern roulette wheel and table layout developing in the late 18th century. The game is played against the house, with bets made on a variety of odds-based propositions.
Before the wheel is spun, players place their bets on a betting mat. The precise location of a chip on the betting mat indicates which bet it is. Bets can be placed on either individual numbers or on groups of numbers called streets. Typically, a street bet costs less than placing a single number and the payout is higher.
The wheel, a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape, has a series of metal partitions, referred to as frets or pockets by roulette croupiers, that divide it into thirty-six distinct sections, painted alternately black and red. A further 37 or 38 compartments, arranged in two rows of 11 (American wheels have an additional green pocket) are numbered nonconsecutively from 1 through 36. An octagon-shaped pocket, painted green, carries the number 0. On European-style wheels, one of these compartments is marked double zero.
After the bets are placed, a small ivory ball is spun around the outer edge of the wheel in the opposite direction of its spin. As the wheel slows down, it releases the ball into one of the compartments. The game’s name is French for “little wheel.” Unlike most other casino games, roulette has no set rules on when or how a player can make bets.
Roulette is a game of pure luck. While some players attempt to game the system by analyzing published wheel results, probability tells us that the odds of hitting a specific number on the wheel remain unchanged, regardless of what has happened in the past. Consequently, it is important to remember that the more you bet on a particular number, the more likely you are to lose your entire stake. For this reason, beginners should start with outside bets which offer lower odds and a better chance of winning. In addition, you should always be prepared to walk away when the odds are against you. Using grandiose or complex strategies can be counter-productive and cause you to lose more money than you should. The key is to play smart and have fun.