The Basics of Roullete
Roullete is one of the most popular casino games in Europe, but in America it doesn’t draw as large a crowd as video poker, blackjack, or even craps. It is, however, a mainstay of casinos in Monte Carlo and other European resorts.
Roulette is a game of pure chance that involves betting on which red or black numbered compartment the ball will land in as it spins around the wheel and comes to rest. Players place bets on a table marked to correspond with the compartments of the wheel and win payouts according to their betting odds.
Bets are placed by laying chips on a betting mat, the precise position of each chip indicating the bet being made. The number of chips bet is determined by the table’s minimum and maximum bet limits. Each table carries a placard describing the minimum and maximum bets. Bets on numbers ranging from six to 12 are called “inside bets”. Bets on groups of numbers, like the first or second dozen, are known as “outside bets.”
The roulette wheel is a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape with metal partitions around its edge. The thirty-six compartments, alternately painted red and black, are numbered consecutively from 1 to 36. On European-style wheels a green compartment, numbered 0, and on American tables an extra, double-zero, green division are also included.
After bets are placed, the croupier (dealer) spins the wheel and a small white ball is released into it. The wheel and ball continue to spin until the ball lands in one of the compartments, at which time winners are paid out by the house.
Many players use strategies to improve their chances of winning, but these don’t make a difference more than the luck of the draw. The best thing to do is simply choose a table within your budget and bet only what you can afford. It’s a good idea to cash out your chips as soon as possible, so that you don’t use them for future bets.