Roulette is a casino game in which players bet on which number or grouping of numbers the ball will land in as it spins around and eventually comes to rest in a compartment of a spinning wheel. The game has a reputation for glamour, mystery and excitement and offers a surprising degree of depth for serious gamblers who are willing to take the time to learn the rules.
The wheel consists of a solid, slightly convex disk with a series of 37 separate compartments, painted alternately red and black, numbered 1 to 36. There is also a green division numbered 0 on European wheels and an extra one numbered 00 on American wheels, which gives the American version of the game a worse return than its counterpart in Europe.
Prior to rolling the ball, people place their bets by laying chips on a betting mat. The precise location of the chips reflects the type of bet being made. Bets on six or less numbers are called Inside bets and those on 12 or more are Outside bets. The odds of each bet are displayed on the betting area of the table and can be estimated from a simple calculation.
When a winning bet is made, the dealer places a marker on the winning chip and clears off any losing bets. The winner then cashes out their winning chips and the process repeats. If a player loses, they have the option to bet again with their remaining chips but should do so cautiously as there is no guarantee that the outcome will be different.
There are numerous claims of systems for beating the house edge at roulette. Some are complicated, others claim to be foolproof. However, all of them ignore the fact that the casino has a statistical advantage over all bets other than those placed on the single number.
Many systems attempt to exploit a hidden flaw in the design of the roulette wheel or the betting system. Whether it be the fact that there are always more zeros than any other number or that the odds of a straight up bet are much lower than those of a dozen bet, these systems have failed to overcome the inherent statistical advantage of the house.