A game of chance in which a small white ball is spun on a wheel with 36 (or 38 on American tables) numbered compartments, one or two zeros, and various other sections affording players a variety of betting opportunities. A croupier places chips on the table and spins the roulette wheel, causing the ball to come to rest in one of the compartments. Players can bet on individual numbers, various groupings of numbers, the colors red or black, odd or even, and high or low.
Roulette has offered glamour, mystery, and excitement to casino-goers since the 17th century, when it was invented by French mathematician Blaise Pascal. It is an extremely popular game worldwide, and is among the most played casino games. Roulette is also one of the most simple and recognizable games, with a relatively straightforward set of rules and an equally easy-to-understand betting system.
Each roulette table carries a placard that describes the minimum and maximum bets allowed. In addition, the dealer will hand you coloured chips that correspond to your total bet amount. Before you play, decide what your budget will be and choose a table that will allow you to place bets within that amount. Each bet type has its own payoffs, and inside bets typically offer higher payouts than outside bets.
The table map shows the different groups of numbers on the roulette wheel, and the corresponding pockets on the roulette table. The bets you make are based on these groupings, and the odds of winning them. You can place bets on a single number, or on a grouping of numbers such as the columns, the dozens, and the red/black/odd/even bets. These bets are called “outside” bets because their odds of winning are lower than those of the inside bets.
There are several strategies for playing roulette, including the Martingale and D’Alembert systems. In these strategies, you raise your bets after losses and decrease them after wins. You can also use a Fibonacci sequence, in which you bet more after each loss and less after each win.
The physics of the roulette wheel and table are very complex, but they are also predictable. For example, the numbers are arranged in a specific pattern that causes some symmetries. For example, the first 12 and the second and third dozen on a European roulette wheel are all grouped together, while the opposite is true for an American wheel. This is why some professional gamblers are able to beat the house edge of roulette by seeking out rigged wheels and focusing their bets on a specific section of the board.