The Basics of Roulette
Roulette is a casino game that has offered glamour, mystery and excitement to gamblers since the 17th century. It is a simple game, with just a few rules, but one that provides a surprising level of depth for serious players seeking an edge.
The name of the game comes from the French word for little wheel. A croupier spins a small white ball around a numbered wheel that contains 36 slots (plus 0 on American tables). Bets are placed on the table, correlating with the number slots where the ball could land. Each table carries a placard that explains the minimum and maximum bets allowed.
To play, a player gives the dealer money by placing it on the table and asking for “colour”. The dealer then gives the player coloured roulette chips of the value they gave them. Between spins, the dealer clears all losing bets off the table and pays winners. Winners can then continue betting with their predetermined budget. It is recommended that winning players cash out their chips as quickly as possible, rather than dipping into their winnings for future bets.
There are a variety of betting options in the game, including wagers on individual numbers, various groupings of numbers, whether the number is odd or even, or whether it is high or low. A bet on a single number is called a straight-up bet, and if it wins, the player receives 392 chips. Other bets pay less, depending on the location of the number on the table.
Traditionally, the roulette balls were made from ivory. Today, they are usually made from a composite resin known as “ivorine” or from Teflon. The size, weight and material of the ball affects how it behaves on the wheel track; a smaller, lighter ceramic ball will jump more unpredictably before it lands.
The mathematics of the game are complex, but in simple terms, the house edge is 2.7% with the La Partage rule in place, and 1.35% without it. In spite of this, there are many – possibly millions – of systems for beating the game. The most important thing is to listen to the croupier when they say ‘no more bets’, and not try to beat the system by cheating or observing other players, which will only distract you and possibly lead to a confrontation with the croupier.