Roulette, which means “little wheel,” is a casino game that has lent glamour and mystery to gambling dens since the 17th century. Although the rules of the game are simple and the odds are relatively low, it offers a surprising degree of depth for serious bettors.
Roulette is played on a table marked off with various sections affording the players a variety of betting opportunities. In the center of the table is a revolving, dishlike device called a roulettewheel, into which a small ball is spun to come to rest finally in one of the 37 or 38 compartments. Each compartment is either red or black, or numbered from 1 to 36, or (on American wheels) 0 and 00. A croupier then places the players’ chips on the table, correlating with the number slots where the ball can possibly land.
The roulette cylinder was introduced in a primitive form in the 17th century by Blaise Pascal, the French physicist, philosopher and inventor. In its present form it is a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape with metal partitions, or frets, around the perimeter, and a series of thirty-six rectangular compartments, or pockets, painted alternately red and black. A 37th compartment, or a single green compartment on American wheels, carries the number 0, and two additional green ones on European wheels carry the numbers 00.
Each roulette table carries a placard specifying the minimum and maximum bets allowed, which are usually based on the amount of money an individual can afford to lose. Each player should choose a table within his or her budget, and start by wagering on the “outside bets” that are easier to win than the “inside bets,” which require more money but have a higher chance of winning.
Before the dealer begins a round, he or she will announce, “No more bets!” This prevents players from placing their chips at the very moment the ball is about to spin. It also keeps cheating and other advantages to a minimum. The size, weight and material of the roulette ball affect its performance. A light ceramic ball, for example, makes more revolutions on the wheel track and jumps more unpredictably before landing than a large ivorine ball. The number of revolutions the ball makes before it reaches a pocket also affects its probability of landing there.