Roulette is one of the casino’s most popular games, offering glamour, mystery and excitement. It’s a simple game to play, with a house edge higher than most other casino games, but it also has an unexpected depth that can be exploited by serious players with the right strategy.
The game consists of a numbered wheel with a red or black section and a green zero (in American roulette there’s an extra, second green division marked 00, making it a worse proposition financially). A small ball is spun around the wheel’s perimeter until it comes to rest in one of the compartments. Players wager on the number or grouping of numbers they believe the ball will land in based on their prediction.
Each roulette table has a layout that shows the different bet types and their odds. When you make your bets, place the chips in the designated areas. The dealer will then spin the roulette wheel and watch as the ball lands in a slot. Depending on your bet type, you may win a large sum or lose everything.
Generally, bets with high payouts have a greater chance of winning but they also carry a higher house edge than other bets. Outside bets are the safest and are typically less expensive than inside bets. For example, placing a single chip on the end of any “street” (row of 3 numbers) will give you better odds of hitting than betting on a specific number.
Before each spin, the player gives the dealer a value of coloured chips equal to the amount he wishes to bet. He will then exchange these for standard chips and announce ‘No more bets!’ This prevents players from making additional bets just before the wheel is about to come to a stop and stops any possibility of cheating.
Roulette wheels are made from a variety of materials, with ivorine being the most common in casinos. Modern balls are usually made from resin or Teflon, although some are even ceramic. The size, weight and material of the ball affect the way it rotates on the roulette wheel and how unpredictably it jumps before it lands on a number.
The wheel is a metal or wooden disk with a series of concentric rings of numbered compartments, colored red and black alternately. There is also a green compartment labelled “0”. The dealer spins the wheel and drops a small metal ball into it. The ball then runs in a series of compartments, until it comes to rest in one of the numbered slots on the roulette table.