Roullete is a casino game that has offered glamour, mystery and excitement to casinos and players for over 300 years. Despite the fact that it seems simple enough to be played by children, there is a surprising depth of strategy that can reap high rewards for serious players.
The game’s name means “little wheel” in French, and a revolving, dishlike device, called a roulettewheel, holds 36 numbers plus a 0 (on some American tables). A croupier spins the roulettewheel, and a small ball is sent into the different compartments where it may come to rest. Bets are placed on the table correlating with the slots the ball can possibly land in.
There are two types of bets in the game: inside and outside bets. Inside bets involve placing a chip on a single definite number or a group of numbers with lower odds but higher payouts. For example, a straight-up bet on a single number pays 17:1; a split bet on two consecutive numbers pay 11:1; and a street bet on three consecutive numbers pays 8:1. Outside bets include red/black, odd/even, high/low, dozens and columns.
Before playing, set a budget and choose a table within your limits. Each table carries a placard that describes the minimum and maximum bets allowed. Generally, minimum bets are lower for inside bets and higher for outside bets.
Some players try to beat the house by using a system of bets that increases or decreases the size of their bets depending on past results. However, mathematical analysis shows that these betting systems don’t improve the odds of winning by more than coincidentally. Moreover, the house edge is still an unavoidable factor in the game.
To play, place your money on the table and ask for “colour.” A dealer will give you coloured roulette chips of the denomination that you’ve given them, which can be as low as $5 or as high as $100. The colour chips are used to distinguish between players, and the dealer will mark each one with a letter that corresponds to its value. During the game, the dealer will clear winning and losing bets from the table and pay the winners. When you win a bet, cash out your winning chips quickly and don’t use them for future bets.