The Basics of Roulette
Roulette is the classic casino game with a simple game plan and a high risk/reward profile. It has offered glamour, mystery and excitement to casino-goers since the 17th century. It has also attracted a wide variety of players, from those who play for fun and to socialize, to those seeking a way to make a living.
A roulette wheel consists of a solid, slightly convex wooden disk divided into compartments by metal partitions (called frets or canoes by roulette croupiers). Thirty-six of these compartments, painted alternately red and black, are numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. A green division, numbered 0, and two additional green pockets on American wheels, numbered 00, complete the wheel. A roulette ball, made of a composite material known as “ivorine”, is spun around the rim of the wheel until it comes to rest in one of the compartments.
Prior to the spin, players place bets by laying chips on a betting mat, with precise placement of the chips indicating the type and amount of bet being placed. Bets on individual numbers, groupings of numbers, or the color red or black are called “Inside bets”. Bets on six numbers forming a square are called a Corner bet. Bets on 12 numbers, called a Dozen bet, are called “Outside bets”.
In addition to placing bets on a number or groups of numbers, the player can choose to wager that the ball will land in one of the pockets marked with either a black or red slash. The odds of hitting a specific number are equal to its probability of occurring, which is calculated as the product of the number’s probability of occurring and its odds of landing in a given pocket.
While some bettors rely on hunches or intuition, the majority of players use some form of a strategy. The most popular strategy is based on a mathematical progression that aims to reduce the house edge. While many different systems have been devised, none has proved to be a foolproof method for beating the game.
Before playing, it’s important to set a budget and stick to it. Once a session is underway, a player’s bankroll should not be touched except to cash out winning bets. If a player is unsure of their betting strategy, they can always ask a croupier for assistance.
Roulette is available at most online casinos, where players can play in a browser or through the casino’s software download. Some online casinos offer a live dealer version of the game, where a real human deals the cards and spins the wheel. While these games have a similar format as their computer-based counterparts, the difference is that winning bets are paid out to winners in real time. A live dealer can help a player learn the game, or he can assist an experienced player with their betting strategies. A live dealer can also increase the fun factor of the game and improve a player’s experience.