Roulette is a casino game that adds a certain glamour and excitement to any gambling session. Its rules are fairly simple, but the game offers a surprising level of depth to serious betters and the right betting strategy can reap high rewards. However, players should always remember that the house edge is 2.7% regardless of their bet choice. This means that every player will have to find their own way to balance risk and reward when playing roulette.
Those who are new to roulette might not know what the different bets mean, and it is important to understand these differences before beginning to play the game. Players can place inside or outside bets, and these bets have varying payout odds based on probability. Inside bets cover one to six numbers and can pay as much as 35:1 if the number wins. Outside bets are based on positional groupings of pockets and cover either odd or even numbers, or a combination of both.
The wheel consists of a solid wood disk slightly convex in shape with metal separators (called frets) around its rim and thirty-six compartments, or pockets, that are painted alternately red and black and numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. There is a single zero pocket on European-style wheels and a double zero on American-style wheels. A croupier spins the wheel and a ball is dropped into one of the compartments.
Prior to the spinning of the ball, people place bets on what will come up by placing chips on a betting mat, with the precise placement of these chips indicating which bet they are making. The bets are then placed in the correct order by the croupier. The betting area is usually marked with French terms, but the US version of the game uses English words and a slightly different style mat.
When the bets are set, the dealer places a marker on the winning number, and the losing bets are cleared from the table. The winning bets are then paid and the dealer gives the player a pile of normal casino chips of the appropriate color to cash in. The player’s original roulette chips are still their property and will be returned unless otherwise specified. Players should never gamble with more than they can afford to lose.
