The Basics of Roulette
Roulette offers glamour, mystery, and excitement to casino-goers around the world. The game’s rules are relatively simple, but the payouts can be high. This article covers all the basics of the game so you can be a more confident player at the roulette table.
To make money at roulette, correctly guess the number or type of number the ball will land on when the dealer spins the wheel. A winning bet pays out a fixed amount of chips, for example a straight-up bet on number 37 will win you 392 chips. Losing bets are cleared off the table first, then winners get paid. The rest of the player’s wagers are left up to the chance of landing on a winning number again on the next spin.
The roulette wheel contains numbers from 1 to 36 in two groups of 12 and a zero (or double zero as described by the French version). The distribution of the numbers on the wheel was carefully designed to be neither too favorable nor unfavorable. The total sum of the numbers on a roulette wheel is 666, which has both symbolic and numerical significance for many people.
Players place their bets by laying down chips on a betting mat, the precise location of the chips indicating the bet being made. The roulette ball then rolls until it comes to rest in one of the 38 (or on modern European/Latin American tables, 37) divisions around the wheel.
Each roulette table carries a placard explaining the minimum and maximum bets allowed for that particular game. It is a good idea to choose a table within your budget so you can play multiple games without exceeding your financial limits. To improve your chances of winning, opt for “outside bets,” which are generally cheaper and have a higher payout rate than inside bets. Avoid using grandiose or complicated strategies, as roulette is essentially a game of chance.