Roulette is a gambling game involving spinning a wheel with numbers and placing bets on which number or group of numbers a ball will land when spinning the wheel. The name comes from French for “little wheel,” and has long been associated with glamour, mystery and excitement. Although its rules can be easily grasped by beginners, they also provide surprising depth for experienced gamblers.
The modern game of roulette began in the 17th century, when French physicist Blaise Pascal developed an early form in pursuit of perpetual motion machines. Since then, various versions of roulette cylinder have been used until its final form emerged with standardized table layout and rotating wheels; double-zero wheels became prevalent across casinos in North America while French single-zero wheels continued being played elegantly in Monte Carlo.
To play roulette, players place chips on a revolving roulette wheel featuring 37 or 38 compartments painted alternately red and black. An outer circle designating tens and jacks while an inner section holds all other numbers; an American wheel has one green pocket for zero while European ones feature two additional green pockets to mark double zero and single zero positions.
After spinning the wheel, a small ball is dropped into one of its compartments. Once it stops turning, a dealer will call out a number; when this occurs, players must choose which of their bets correspond with this number; bets could include individual numbers or groupings of numbers such as first or second dozen, red or black, odd/even numbers or any other aspect of symmetry on the wheel.
Before placing any bets, players should create a budget and identify which bet types will suit their skill level and bankroll best. Each table features placards detailing minimum and maximum bet amounts, so it is wise to read these before placing bets. Once a winning bet has been confirmed by the dealer, he or she will place a marker on it or remove losing chips from the table; winning bettors should avoid using winnings to place new bets as this increases risk and could cost even more money in total!