Roulette (French for ‘little wheel’) is a casino game where a small ball is sent spinning around a revolving wheel. Players place bets on which numbered compartment the ball will land in as it comes to rest. Bets can be placed on either individual numbers, groups of numbers (‘street’ bets) or other combinations that pay at a lower rate, but still offer higher odds of winning.
The first step in playing Roulette is to establish a budget for the session. Choose a table within your betting range, and make sure to use only chips with a value printed on them. The value of a roulette chip is determined by the player’s buy-in divided by the number of chips received, and indicated by a token on the dealer’s stack.
When the game is ready to begin, the dealer will clear the table and then call “Place Your Bets”. Roulette players must decide whether to bet ‘inside’ or ‘outside’. Inside bets are those placed on specific numbers, while outside bets are those made on a group of adjacent numbers or on the corners of the grid. Once all bets are placed, the wheel is spun and the winning number called. The dealer will then place a marker on the winning number, clear the table and pay the winners.
There are two main types of roulette wheels in use today, European and American. The European wheel has 38 numbered pockets (including the ‘0’ and ’00’) while the American wheel adds a ‘double zero’ pocket to the mix. The American wheel’s addition increases the house edge slightly, but it remains lower than the edge on a European roulette wheel.
The roulette ball used to be a piece of ivory, but now it is crafted from resin, Teflon or even ceramics. The difference in material makes a significant difference in the playability of the game; the smaller, lighter balls spin faster and jump more unpredictably before landing on a number than larger pieces of ivory.
The roulette layout consists of the number grid, with the pockets separated by colors – red and black and sometimes one or two green pockets. The color pockets give the house an advantage in all bets other than straight-up. A roulette ball is also weighted, which affects its acceleration as it spins on the wheel and the distance it travels before coming to a stop. This factor may be why some players sway their betting strategies by watching other players, hoping to pick up on any patterns.