Roullete (French for “little wheel”) is the classic casino game of chance that adds a sense of glamour, mystery, and excitement to any gambling establishment. A simple game with seemingly simple rules, roulette has a surprising depth of strategy and can yield high rewards for players who understand its odds.
The game is played on a table with a spinning wheel that contains 36 numbers plus a single zero (0, on American tables). A croupier (that’s the dealer) spins the wheel and then takes bets from the players. Bets can be made on a number, various groupings of numbers, the color red or black, and whether a number is odd or even.
To make a bet in roulette, you must first purchase a roulette chip from the dealer. Each player is assigned a colored chip that corresponds to the denomination of the bet. You must always bet with chips that you have purchased and cannot “borrow” from another player. The croupier will ask what you want to bet, and you will indicate the amount by placing it on the appropriate square on the betting layout.
Once all bets have been placed, the croupier will spin the wheel and then drop the ball into a pocket that marks a number on the table. The winning bets will then be paid out. The losing bets will be cleared from the table and the croupier will begin the process of redistributing new bets for the next round.
Inside bets are those placed on the numbered portion of the table and offer a lower house edge than outside bets. These bets are also more expensive, but pay out a higher percentage of your original stake.
Street Bet/Three Number Bet/Side Bet/The Trio: Also known as transversal in French, this bet consists of placing your chip(s) to straddle the line between two numbers on the layout. If either of the numbers wins, you’ll receive 17-1.
Dozens Bet: This bet, called douzaine in French, is a wager that the winning number will come from one of the dozens (first 12, second 12, or third dozen). This bet pays out 2-1. Odd or Even Bet: This bet, referred to as impair et pair in French, is that the winning number will be either odd or even. This bet pays 1-1.
