Roulette has brought glamour and mystery to casinos around the world since the 17th century, when it was first mentioned in print. Despite its simplicity and the fact that it is purely a game of chance, there is a surprising amount of depth to the rules, and players who understand them can take advantage of opportunities to increase their odds of winning. This article will explain the basics of how to play Roullete, and give some advice on how to bet.
The game is played on a table marked off with numbers from 1 to 36, and one or two zeros, affording the player several betting options. A croupier throws a small ball onto a rotating wheel that contains colored pockets for the number slots. The ball bounces around the pocket-marked wheel until it hits a number that is one of the bets the player placed. The winning player is then paid out by the croupier.
Before a spin begins, the dealer clears the table of any losing bets and pays the winners. Each roulette table carries a placard that describes the minimum and maximum bets allowed. Generally speaking, the table minimum is higher for inside bets and lower for outside bets. Choose a table within your budget and begin placing your bets, starting with “outside bets,” which are groups of numbers rather than individual digits.
Outside bets are less risky than inside bets, and they offer a payout of 1-1. They can be made on any of the 18 odd or even numbers, any of the first 12 or last 12 numbers, or a combination of both. However, if the winning number is in the 0 or 00 slot, all outside bets lose.
To make a bet, place your chips on the edge of any row of three consecutive numbers. This bet is known as a street, transversal, or sixline in French. The other popular outside bet is the Dozens Bet, also known as pass or manque in French. In this bet, you wager that the winning number will be in the first dozen (red) or second (12) or third (18) dozens on the table layout. The house edge on this bet is 2-1.