Roulette has offered glamour, mystery and excitement to casino-goers since the 17th century. Despite its relatively simple rules, it provides a surprising depth for serious betters to explore and with the right strategy, players can reap high rewards. This article will take you through the basics so that you can get started playing this popular game and winning big.
Roulette consists of a small ball being released in the opposite direction of a revolving wheel, which then drops into one of 38 red or black numbered compartments as it comes to rest. Players place bets against the house predicting which number, grouping or color they think the wheel will land on. Winners are paid according to their betting odds.
The Roulette wheel, a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape, has a series of metal partitions or frets around its rim with thirty-six compartments painted alternately red and black and numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. A 37th compartment, painted green and labelled 0 on European wheels, and a second, green, labelled 00 on American wheels give the house an edge of 5.26%.
During the course of a game, the dealer will clear all losing bets from the table and pay winners. Once this is complete, the dealer will signal for play to start by placing a marker on the winning chips (and clearing the loser’s bets). The players then make their choices and the ball is spun in the opposite direction of the wheel. The ball lands in a compartment that corresponds to the bet that the player placed.
Each Roulette table carries a placard with the minimum and maximum bets allowed. Choose a table within your budget and select the bet size that you can comfortably afford. The maximum bet for inside bets is higher than that of outside bets, as are the odds of winning them.
Once the chips are in place and the table has been cleared, the dealer will spin the Roulette wheel. When the wheel stops, the dealer will announce the result and distribute the winning chips to the players. Then the new round begins and the process is repeated.
Some players like to watch the other players at a table, hoping to discern something they don’t know or to act against their bets. However, this will not improve your odds more than coincidence. A better strategy is to establish a size of your betting unit based on your available bankroll and to stick with it throughout the game.
You may wish to consider making an additional bet known as a basket bet which is staked by putting chips in the same way that you would for a line bet, but this time on the dividing line between the zero row and the row with 1, 2 and 3 – the only numbers not covered by any other bets. This bet pays out at 6:1 and gives you an advantage over the house, but should be avoided when using your best roulette strategy.