Roulette is a popular casino game played around the world. This gambling classic was invented by Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician. It was introduced to Europe in the 18th century and quickly gained popularity.
There are many variations of the game, but all have the same basic rules and payoffs. The odds for each bet vary depending on the type of bet and the number of chips placed on the board.
A roulette wheel consists of a spinning disk with divisions numbered from 1 to 36 and alternately red and black. American tables have a second green division numbered 0.
The numbers are separated by partitions or canoes called separators or frets, and the compartments are painted on both sides of the wheel in either red or black. The wheel spins with a smooth and almost frictionless motion.
When the ball stops in one of these divisions, the player who bet on that number wins. The winning number is determined by a series of calculations that use a computer to simulate the results of every spin.
Players can place bets on single numbers, groupings of numbers, the color red or black, odd or even, and whether the numbers are high (19-36) or low (1-18). The house edge in roulette is 5%, but it does not apply to all bets.
Inside and Outside Bets
When a player places a bet, they place the chips on the betting mat, which is located directly under the numbers being bet on. The betting mat has a number of symbols on it, each symbol denoting a different type of bet.
These symbols can be translated into English, but on some European tables the French terms are still used. In the US, however, English terms are often used and the roulette table has a slightly different layout.
Announced Bets
In roulette, there are a variety of special bets, called announced bets. These are most common in French Roulette, but they can also be found in online European variants. These bets are very common and can be very lucrative, but they require a lot of understanding of the rules.