Roullete (pronounced roo-lats) is a casino game involving spinning a wheel and betting on the color or numbers of the pockets the ball will land in. It is easy to understand, and even easier to play, but the game has a depth that can surprise many casual gamblers. The odds are stacked against players, but serious bettors can minimize their losses and maximize their winnings with simple strategies.
There are numerous games of chance, but none has captivated the world quite like roulette. It is an elegant, romantic game with a history that stretches back to the 17th century and is one of the most popular games in Monte Carlo and other European casinos and gambling houses. There are many fanciful stories about its origin, but the truth is that roulette was probably developed from earlier games such as hoca and portique by a 17th century French mathematician Blaise Pascal. Its popularity grew as it spread from the French casinos and gambling dens to other countries in Europe and America. During this time it became modified to its present layout and wheel structure, with the addition of the double zero pocket that makes it more difficult to beat than the original single-zero version.
A typical roulette wheel consists of a solid, slightly convex wood disk with a metal rim containing 37 compartments, or ‘pockets’, that are painted alternately red and black and numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. Two green pockets on American roulette wheels carry the ‘0’ and ’00’ symbols, and there is also a single-zero pocket in Europe. The wheel is spun in a smooth, frictionless manner and the dealer drops the ball into one of the pockets where it will stop. All bets that cover the number or type of pocket that the ball lands in win; those that do not win lose.
A basic knowledge of the game is all you need to get started playing, but you should always remember that roulette is a gambling game and there are no guaranteed ways to win. To minimize your risk, choose a table within your budget and place your chips on the appropriate spots on the roulette table map. Before the dealer spins the wheel, you must tell her how much each of your roulette chips will be worth, and she will indicate this value on the ‘wheel’ of chips before she starts to distribute them to players. You must also avoid using your winnings to make new bets, as this will increase your risk of losing more than you will gain.