Roulette is one of the world’s most popular casino games. It has a long history and can be found in many casinos and online. The game has many variations, including multiball versions played with up to three balls, no-zero roulette games in which the zero slot is removed and mini-roulette versions on which a small wheel and a handful of numbers can be betted on.
During the game players place bets on the number, section or color of the ball that will come to rest in a particular compartment of a revolving wheel. The croupier (dealer) then spins the wheel and drops a ball into it, and if a player has made a winning bet, they are paid according to their odds of success.
The Roulette wheel consists of a solid, slightly convex wooden disk with thirty-six evenly spaced black and red compartments called frets or compartmentes, plus two green ones that carry the signs 0 and 00. These compartments are alternately painted, and the croupiers call them “pockets.”
When the wheel is spun, the croupier places a chip on each of these pockets, with the precise placement of the chips marking the bet that is being made. Each bet type is known by a different name, and the bets on six or less are called “Inside bets” while those on 12 or more are known as “Outside bets.”
In American casinos a bet placed on either the first, second or third dozen pays 2-1. This is a variant of Outside bets, and is also sometimes referred to as a Basket bet.
Roulette is a game of chance that has been around for more than 300 years. It was invented by the 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal. Its popularity grew rapidly in the late 18th century, and it became a staple of casinos in Europe. Many fanciful stories are associated with its origin, but the fact is that it is simply a game of chance. Some professional gamblers have a knack for predicting which numbers will win, but even these people can’t beat the house edge.