Roullete, which translates as ‘little wheel’ in French, is one of the world’s most popular casino games. Its history goes back to the late 1700s and it’s now hard to imagine a casino without at least one roulette table. There are a number of variations to the game that all offer different features. These range from the house edge to the betting options.
The aim of the game is to predict where the ball will land on the roulette wheel. There are 37 numbers on the wheel ranging from 1 to 36. These are coloured red and black with a green zero. The American roulette wheel also has an extra green 00 pocket and the numbers are arranged in a slightly different order to European roulette tables.
Players make a bet by dragging and dropping chips onto the roulette table. The croupier then throws the ball into the spinning wheel. When the ball lands on a number, section or color, the winners are awarded according to their bet odds.
Outside bets are placed on the outside sections of the table and usually have lower payouts. However, they offer a better chance of winning. For example, a straight bet on number 18 costs 35 chips to win and pays out 17 to 1. Outside bets can also include groups of numbers such as red-black, odd-even, first, second and third dozen or high-low.
The most important factor to remember when playing roulette is that luck plays a big part in the outcome of any bet. While the odds of winning a straight bet are low, there are ways to improve your chances of success by limiting your bets. The James Bond strategy, for example, involves placing bets on a single number or groups of numbers that have a good chance of hitting. This strategy is especially effective when playing online because of the fast pace of play and the fact that no-one else can see your bets.
In addition to traditional roulette, many online casinos now offer variations of the game. These include mini roulette where the table is only half the size of a regular roulette table and the payouts are smaller. This version is a good way to practice before you try your hand at the real thing. Other variations include the La Partage and En Prison rules which are essentially insurance on even money wagers in case the ball lands on 0. These rules are not as common in online casinos but they do exist and can significantly improve your odds of winning.