Roulette is a game of chance that involves a numbered wheel and betting table. Players can bet on individual numbers, groups of numbers (even or odd), the color red or black, or whether a number is high or low. The name of the game comes from the French word for “little wheel.” There are many fanciful stories about the origins of this casino game, but it is believed to have evolved from the older games hoca and portique.
The roulette wheel consists of a solid, convex disc slightly larger than a basketball with thirty-six colored compartments (called pockets by croupiers) arranged in alternate red and black groups around the perimeter of the disk, and a single green pocket marked “0,” or sometimes two (on American wheels). A ball is spun on the outside of the wheel and when it lands in a pocket corresponding to a player’s bet, that player wins.
A croupier, or dealer, runs the roulette table and is responsible for accepting bets. Each player receives a special set of roulette chips, different from normal casino chips, that are used to mark the bets. These chips have no value away from the roulette table. Each player should be careful not to mix these chips with regular casino chips, as this could result in a double bet and the loss of money.
The croupier will pause the game for a minute or so, allowing players to wrap up their bets. When he is ready, he will announce, “no more bets” and throw the ball into the spinning wheel. The players watch as the ball swirls and bounces around the pockets until it finally settles into one of them. If a player correctly guesses the number or type of number, they win.
Outside bets are those placed on a category of numbers rather than individual ones, and pay out a higher percentage if the bet is won. These bets are also known as proposition bets and can be more conservative plays for novices of the game. Examples of these include the line bet and the six-number bet. The High or Low Bet, which is called passe et manque in French, is another option for even-money bets; you are wagering that the winning number will fall within either the first 18 numbers on the layout (1-18) or the last 18 numbers (19-36). If it lands on 0 or 00, all outside bets lose.