Roulette offers glamour, mystery and excitement to casino-goers around the world. Its relatively simple rules make it easy to play and can be a fun game for casual players. However, serious bettors can find that the game is much more than just a matter of luck, with some clever betting strategies reaping high rewards.
To win at roulette you have to correctly guess the number or grouping that will be hit when the croupier spins the wheel. There are many different betting combinations, each with different odds for winning and varying payouts. The more numbers that a bet covers, the higher the chance for a win but also the lower the payouts. The different bets can be categorized as inside bets, outside bets and announced bets.
When you place your bets at the roulette table it is important to do so quickly. The croupier will clear the losing bets off the table and then pay out any winners before starting a new round. It is recommended that you keep a budget of chips to bet with and do not dip into your winnings for future bets.
The roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape. Around its rim are metal separators, or frets, and compartments, known as pockets or canoes by roulette croupiers, that are numbered nonconsecutively from one to 36. On European-style wheels a single green compartment carries the symbol 0, and on American-style wheels two green compartments carry the symbols 0 and 00.
Each coloured slot on the roulette wheel is associated with a number and the red and black are alternating even and odd. In addition to the single digit numbers, there are three other groups of numbers on the wheel: a dozen (first, second and third) and a carrée or tiers bet that covers 12, 27 and 33.
When you are ready to play, the dealer will indicate how much each of your chips is worth on a special marker that sits on the table. You then tell the dealer how many chips you want to bet and she will parcel out your bets to you. Once you have made your bets the croupier will spin the wheel and the ball will land in a corresponding number pocket on the roulette table.