Roullete is a game that has brought glamour, mystery and excitement to casino-goers since the 17th century. It is easy to learn and can provide a surprising level of depth for serious betters. It can be played with just a few chips and pays out large sums of money if correctly guessed.
Roulette, French for little wheel, is a casino game that combines chance with strategy. Players place bets on which red or black numbered compartment of a revolving wheel the small ball will enter as it comes to rest. The game evolved in Europe over the 18th century with all bets against the house, and rules were established to prevent cheating.
The roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk slightly convex with a rim that contains metal separators called frets or canoes by the croupiers. Thirty-six of these compartments, alternately painted red and black, are numbered 1 to 36. A second green division on European wheels carries the number 0 and the American wheel has an extra green slot labelled 00.
Before the wheel spins a dealer places a marker on a betting area of the table where players lay down their chips. In Europe the betting mat is usually in French but on American tables English terms and a different style of betting board are used. The table map marks the locations of the various bets and their respective odds. Bets are made by placing chips on the appropriate sections of the layout, either directly on a number or on one of the groupings of numbers such as Dozens, Columns, Red/Black or High/Low. Outside bets are those that cover six or more numbers and pay out at 2-1.
The history of roulette has a few fanciful accounts but it is most likely based on the wheel invented by Blaise Pascal in the 17th century as he was searching for a perpetual motion machine. He discarded the perpetual gear mechanism but the spinning wheel caught on and became a popular pastime in the casinos of Paris. The word roulette is French for little wheel and the game gained popularity as people threw their chips into the circle hoping to land on their favorite number. Today the game is played around the world and is known for its simplicity, elegance and the large payouts that can be achieved.