Roulette is a casino game where a small ball rolls around a revolving wheel and people place bets on which numbered compartment it will come to rest in. Bets can be placed on single numbers, various groupings of numbers, colors (red or black), whether a number is odd or even, or if the number is high (19-36) or low (1-18). Roulette is popular worldwide and the game offers a surprising level of depth for serious gamblers.
Before a spin of the wheel, players place their chips on a betting mat with the precise location of each chip indicating the bet being made. The bets on six numbers or less are called “Inside bets” and those on 12 or more are known as “Outside bets”.
A roulette table features a circular track on which the ball will land. The track is grooved with alternating red and black sections. There is also a green section which, on European wheels only, carries the sign 0. The American roulette table has an additional green section marked 00.
Once a player has placed his or her bets, the dealer spins the wheel and a ball is dropped into one of the sections. The winning bets are paid and the losing bets cleared from the table before the next round of play begins. During the course of a game, players may change their bets but should always keep within their predetermined budget.
The roulette cylinder was introduced in a primitive form in the 17th century by Frenchman Blaise Pascal. He was trying to develop a perpetual motion machine and his accidental discovery of the roulette wheel was an unexpected success. The modern roulette wheel and betting layout evolved in the late 18th century. The word “roulette” is derived from the French words for little wheel and the game quickly became popular in Europe.