Roullete, also known as Roulette is a casino game in which bets are made on which red or black numbered compartment the ball will enter as it comes to rest after being released from a revolving wheel. The Roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape, with metal separators called frets and a series of compartments or pockets – called canoes by croupiers – that are painted alternately red and black. A 37th compartment, painted green, carries the sign 0 on European-style wheels; and two green compartments – one on each side of the wheel – carry the signs 00 on American wheels.
Bets may be placed against the house or against other players, and each spin of the wheel brings a new opportunity to win or lose. The game’s simplicity and wide range of bets make it popular with all kinds of gamblers, from amateurs to professional bettors. The odds on the game are very high that a bet will not win, but the payouts are large when they do.
Like most casino games, roulette has a built-in house edge, and while there are many supposedly foolproof systems for beating it, none can overcome the game’s inherent odds against a player. Nonetheless, the game continues to draw players at casinos around the world.
Roulette has the smallest following of any table game in the United States, drawing significantly fewer people than slot machines or video poker, and nowhere near the popularity of blackjack, baccarat, craps, or even the more recent games like Let It Ride. But in Europe, the game is a mainstay of Monte Carlo and other glitzy casino resorts. In fact, the only other casino game to attract a bigger crowd is baccarat, but its popularity is in decline.