The Basics of Roullete
Roullete is a gambling game in which players try to predict where a small ball will land on a spinning roulette wheel. It’s been a staple at casino tables for over 200 years, and though it may seem simple enough to be a game of chance, roulette offers a surprising level of depth for serious betters. The right strategy can reap high rewards, but the wrong one can lead to big losses.
Despite being the most iconic casino game in history, roulette has a smaller following than games such as slot machines, video poker, blackjack and craps. Nevertheless, it’s still a favorite in Europe and attracts large crowds to Monte Carlo.
The modern roulette wheel was introduced in a primitive form in the 17th century by the French mathematician Blaise Pascal as part of his quest to create a perpetual motion machine. It was based on the older games hoca and portique. After a brief ban in France, the game picked up steam and spread to casinos and gambling houses around the world.
Roulette is a game of pure luck, but it can be a great deal of fun. It’s important to keep your gambling budget in mind at all times, and to walk away if you’re losing. It’s also a good idea to stick with a predetermined amount of money, rather than betting more and more as you win.
A standard European roulette wheel has 37 compartments, painted alternately red and black and numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. A croupier spins the wheel on a metal axle and the small white ball, with a red stripe around it, is dropped into one of the pockets. The number and color of the pocket determines whether a winning bet is paid out, with single numbers paying out 2-1 and groupings of numbers paying out at a much lower rate (e.g., the Dozens bet pays out a mere 2).
The roulette ball is typically made of ivory although nowadays most professional balls are made of synthetic materials such as Teflon or resin. The material of the ball has an impact on the game: a lighter, smaller ball makes more revolutions and jumps more unpredictably before landing on a number than does a heavier, larger one. The difference in weight is not enough to affect the odds of a bet, however. The expected return on a bet is independent of the selection of the bet. The house edge is the same, irrespective of whether a player bets on a single number or various groupings of numbers.