Roullete is one of the oldest casino games, and it still brings glamour, mystery, and excitement to the gambling halls of Monte Carlo and elsewhere. The game is simple enough for a novice to learn, but it can also provide a surprising level of depth and sophistication for those who take it seriously.
Before you can start betting, however, you must understand the game’s mechanics and terminology. The game is played on a table with a spinning wheel of numbers. The wheel, called a rouleau by roulette croupiers, is a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape with a metal rim that houses dozens of little compartments. Thirty-six of these are painted alternately red and black, and are numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. A 37th compartment, on European wheels, carries the sign of 0, and on American wheels two green pockets carry the signs of 0 and 00.
The goal is to correctly guess which number or grouping of numbers the ball will land in when the croupier spins the wheel. Bets are placed on the table in groups correlating with the number slots that the ball can hit. The game is a fast-paced and fun, but it’s essentially a luck-based game. Players can make a wide variety of bets, including single-number wagers, various groupings of numbers, colors, and odd/even odds.
Each player at a roulette table gets a set of colored chips of varying values to represent his or her bets. The dealer (called a croupier in this game) will ask each player what denomination to designate for each chip, and will mark the chips accordingly. Usually, the smallest value chips are used for even money bets and the largest are for outside bets.
When a player has placed all of his or her bets, the croupier will announce, “No more bets!” Then, he or she will spin the wheel and watch as the ball bounces around the wheel until it settles into a pocket marked with a specific number. If a bet was made on that number, the winner is announced and the winning bets paid.
Roulette is the classic casino game, and it’s also popular at online casinos. The rules are straightforward, but the game has many variations that make it a favorite for gamblers of all ages and backgrounds. The game’s simple mechanics and exciting atmosphere have helped to make it a staple of casinos around the world. Although the game isn’t as popular in America as slot machines or video poker, it still attracts a sizable crowd, especially at Monte Carlo and other European resorts. It’s also a great way to relax and unwind after a long day of work or school.