Roulette (French for “little wheel”) is one of the world’s most beloved casino games. A white ball is used to spin on a numbered wheel while players place bets on what number or grouping of numbers will come up during each spin, betting whether odd or even, high or low or any combination thereof will appear; each type of bet offers its own odds and payouts – it has earned itself an international following over time, drawing big crowds in Monte Carlo and other European casinos alike.
Roulette wheels feature 38 distinct pockets or compartments numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36 and painted alternately red and black, with American roulette wheels having one extra compartment labelled 0. European wheels do not include this extra pocket; only two green divisions labeled 00 exist on them instead. When spun, a metal plate divides these compartments; when spun again a croupier drops a ball into one of them until called by a dealer that there are no more bets allowed and announces its winner before it finally stops its restful stop where its winner number can be announced.
When it’s time to place a bet, speak to the croupier or dealer and purchase colored roulette chips. Each color represents different values, and he or she will ask which you would like it assigned; this step is crucial as no dealer can place your bet for you, so each chip needs to match up with table minimum. Finally, they will hand over a roulette wheel featuring colored chips with your denomination on it.
Roulette betting involves placing a chip onto a betting mat. There are various kinds of bets, with two main categories: inside and outside bets. Inside bets focus on specific numbers or groups of numbers and offer greater chances of immediate wins; outside bets offer lower immediate winning chances but greater payouts.
Before beginning to play roulette, select a table within your budget and read all of its rules carefully. Each table provides information regarding minimum and maximum bets allowed as well as which types of bets have the highest chance of success based on odds comparison as well as house edge calculations.