Roulette is a casino game that features a spinning wheel. Players place bets on which numbered compartment the ball will come to rest in as it spins. Each bet pays out at varying odds depending on whether the number is red or black, odd or even, high or low.
The Roulette cylinder was invented in the 17th century by Blaise Pascal, the French physicist, philosopher and inventor. The game grew in popularity in the late 18th century as it moved from European gambling dens to American casinos. It was in these new settings that the game’s rules were refined to prevent cheating and to streamline the betting table layout.
Each roulette table carries a placard with information about the minimum and maximum bets allowed. When choosing a table, pick one that is within your budget and that offers the type of bets you prefer to play. The best way to ensure that you can stay within your budget is to place bets on groups of numbers rather than individual digits. This is known as an “outside bet” and is generally cheaper than placing a bet on a single number.
A Roulette cylinder consists of a hollow disc that is divided into 37 or 38 sections by one or two zeros and several other divisions affording the player a variety of betting opportunities. The wheel has in its center a revolving dishlike device called a roulettewheel into which a small ball is spun, coming to rest finally in one of the compartments which indicate the winning number.
The Roulette wheel contains the numbers 1 to 36 and a 0 (in American roulette only). The dividing line between the compartments is painted alternately red and black, with the zero in the green division. There are also a few additional symmetries on the roulette table that help to improve the game’s overall probability of winning. These include the fact that the high red numbers and the low black numbers form a group of six numbers (called the first dozen), while the second twelve are spread evenly throughout the wheel. This distribution increases the odds of hitting the first dozen by about a factor of ten, while the odds of hitting the second are reduced to about a factor of five. Some people believe that by watching their fellow players, they can detect these symmetries and increase their own chances of winning. This is unlikely to increase a player’s odds significantly, however. In general, the only way to improve your odds is to set a predetermined budget for betting and stick with it.
