Roullete (pronounced “rool-TEE”) is a casino gambling game that involves betting on which red or black numbered compartment the roulette ball will drop into when it comes to rest in one of the many different sections on a spinning, dishlike device called a roulette wheel. Bets are placed on a specially designated table to correspond with the varying compartments on the wheel. Almost entirely based on luck, the game is a popular choice at both online and land-based casinos.
Players place their bets by laying down chips on the betting mat before the ball is spun. The exact placement of the chips indicates the type of bet. Each bet is then paid out according to its odds, with straight up bets paying out 35-to-1 and coloured bets paying out 18-to-1. Outside bets, which include the Dozens and Columns bets, have lower payouts but better odds.
The roulette wheel was first invented in a primitive form in the 17th Century by a French physicist named Blaise Pascal as part of his search for a perpetual motion machine. He did not add the green zero to the wheel until the middle of the 19th Century. The addition of the green zero greatly improved the house edge and made the game more profitable for the casino.
Roulette is played on a special table with the numbers 1 through 36 and two or three zeros, with alternating colors of red and black. There is also a second, extra green division on American tables marked as 00 which makes the game a poorer proposition financially than its European cousin.
A number of strategies exist for playing roulette, including the Martingale system whereby a player increases their stake after every loss. This approach allows a player to see the amount of money they are able to win before they start losing, which can help them avoid big losses.
The modern roulette ball is made of a variety of materials, including resin and Teflon, although most are still manufactured in ivory to give them the look and feel of a traditional ivorine ball. The difference in size, weight and material has a noticeable impact on the way the ball travels around the roulette wheel. The lighter, more spherical ball bounces and jumps more unpredictably than the heavier and more solid ivorine balls of the past. As a result, the ball is less likely to land in a winning pocket than its ivorine counterpart.