Roulette is a game of chance that offers glamour, mystery and excitement to casino-goers. It is also a game of surprising depth for serious bettors who can reap high rewards. But before you go placing your bets, learn the rules and odds of this classic game.
Roulette, French for “little wheel,” is a game that was invented more than 300 years ago. At the end of the 17th century, French mathematician Blaise Pascal created this game while experimenting with a perpetual motion machine. During the game, a croupier spins a wheel with 36 numbers and a 0 (or a double-zero on some American tables). The croupier then places bets on the table correlating to the slots the ball can possibly land in.
There are two categories of bets: inside and outside. Inside bets are placed on the numbered portion of the roulette table and include straight-up, split, street, corner, and six-line bets. Outside bets cover the red/black, odd/even, high/low, dozens, and column bets. Outside bets have a lower house edge, but they also pay out less frequently.
Before you play, set a budget for yourself. Each roulette table carries a placard describing the minimum and maximum bets allowed. This will help you avoid overextending yourself, and make sure that you don’t bet more than you can afford to lose.
Once you’ve established your budget, find a table within it. It’s best to avoid the crowded tables, as they can lead to distraction and confusion. It’s also important to know the odds of winning before you place your bets, as this can save you from wasting money on a losing bet.
The first step in playing roulette is to purchase chips from the dealer. The dealer will ask you what denomination you want to assign to each chip, and then mark it with a colored indicator. The color indicates the value of each chip. Most roulette tables come with six to eight sets of different colored chips. Each player receives a specific color, making it easy to tell who’s betting what.
Before the dealer spins the wheel, he or she will announce ‘no more bets.’ This prevents players from putting their chips down while the wheel is spinning, and it helps to prevent cheating. Once the ball has landed, winning bets are paid out, and losing bets are cleared from the table. Many gamblers like to watch their opponents, hoping that they can pick up clues as to what strategy is being used. However, this is not a reliable way to improve your odds of winning.