Roulette is one of the classic casino games that offer glamour, mystery and excitement. Its rules are simple enough for newbies to learn, but the game also has a surprising depth for serious players who want to get the most out of it.
Roulette, whose name is French for little wheel, has been around since the 17th century. It was derived from the older games hoca and portique, with modifications made by French mathematician Blaise Pascal and others. Its present layout and wheel structure came into use in the late 1700s.
The roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape. Its rim is separated by metal partitions, known as separators or frets and the compartments, called pockets or canoes by roulette croupiers, are painted alternately red and black and numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. On European-style wheels a 37th compartment, painted green, carries the sign 0. On American wheels two additional green compartments on opposite sides of the wheel carry the signs 0 and 00.
There are many different types of bets in roulette, and each offers a different chance for winning and a different payout if the bet wins. The different betting combinations can be grouped into three main categories: inside bets, outside bets and announced bets.
Inside bets are the bets placed within the racetrack and are often used by high rollers. They include bets on single numbers, groupings of numbers and color, or whether the number is odd or even. These bets have a lower house edge than other bets and can make the game very exciting.
When a bet wins the dealer places a marker on it. Then he or she clears off the losing chips and pays the winners. The process repeats and the winning bettors can continue to make more bets with their predetermined budgets. It is important to cash in your chips as soon as possible after each round. This way you can avoid the temptation to keep betting and end up with a huge loss.
The James Bond strategy is a good way to play roulette without risking your entire bankroll. The system combines bets to create a low house edge, but it requires a decent amount of money to work.