Roulette is a classic casino game that offers an intriguing combination of simplicity and depth for serious players. Its rules are relatively easy to understand and the payouts can be very high. The key to success in roulette is understanding the different types of bets and knowing when to walk away.
Often compared to the more complex card games like poker, roulette is a simple gambling game based entirely on luck. Players place bets on specific numbers or groups of numbers, whether they are red or black, and even or odd. A croupier spins a small white ball on a rotating wheel and when it hits one of the pockets marked with those colors, the player wins. It is a game that has offered glamour and excitement since the 17th century.
There are many fanciful stories about the origin of roulette, including that it was invented by 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal. However, it is more likely that the game evolved from earlier table games such as hoca and portique.
The Wheel
A roulette wheel consists of a static bowl-shaped disk, slightly convex in shape, with a metal compartment or fret that encloses 36 evenly spaced red and black numbers. A 0 and a double-zero are on some American roulette wheels, while European ones have only the single zero. The roullete has a set of colored chips for each bet, and the croupier gives you these when you give him or her your money.
Inside Bets
When you place an inside bet, you’re wagering that the winning number will be in one of the first 18 or last 18 numbers on the layout. If the 0 or 00 comes up, all inside bets lose. Inside bets are the most common and offer a relatively low house edge, about 2.7 percent.
Outside Bets
The Outside bet, or l’Eventail in French, is made by placing your chip(s) to straddle the line between two rows on the roulette table map. If either of these numbers win, you’ll get a payout of 17-1. If neither number wins, you lose. Other names for the Outside bet are Street Bet, Three Number Bet and The Trio.