Roulette provides casino-goers around the world with glamour, mystery and excitement. While its rules may appear straightforward at first glance, its depth becomes evident after serious betters have studied its odds. Newcomers to roulette may not know what to expect when entering a roulette table or wheel for their first time; this article provides helpful instructions by outlining its rules, terminology and betting options to get players started playing this exciting game.
Roulette is played on a specially-designed table, with bets placed on various groups of numbers and either red or black groups of numbers. A croupier spins the wheel while players bet on which numbered compartment it will stop in. Although roulette originated in Europe, its popularity quickly spread throughout North America due to the lower house edge in Europe.
Roulette was initially played using a revolving wheel featuring red and black divisions numbered one through 36 painted alternately on its surface, as well as an extra green zero on European wheels, later evolving to its modern-day version in gambling dens and casinos throughout Europe and North America.
Before the dealer rolls the ball, players place bets on which number or groupings of numbers they think will appear by placing chips on the table map indicating where their bet will be placed. Bets with six numbers or less are known as Inside bets; those on any other number are Outside bets.
At Roulette, a croupier spins a ball around a wheel, stopping it when it lands on one of the numbered slots on which bets were made and announcing which number it has stopped in. Winning bets are paid out according to their odds of appearing and bettors should focus on placing bets with equal chances. Though Roulette may appear fast-paced and captivating to watch, newcomers should remain patient and make small bets evenly spaced across each round for best results.
Roulette wheels consist of solid wooden disks that are slightly convex in shape and are enclosed with metal rims containing numbering systems. Thirty-six compartments called canoes by croupiers are numbered 1 through 36 in succession on European wheels while American wheels feature two such compartments marked 0 and 00; on European wheels one green compartment is usually painted as “0,” while one or both green compartments may be marked “00.” A spherical ball is then released in the center of each revolution before it eventually stops falling into one or more compartment.