Roullete (roh-LOO-lay) is a casino game where a little ball rolls around a wheel and people bet on what number it will land on. It’s easy enough for beginners to understand and enjoy, but offers a wide variety of betting options that keep experienced players happy too.
A roulette table has a grid that displays 36 numbered slots, plus a zero and double zero (depending on where you play). You can make bets on individual numbers or groups of numbers — like odd or even. Some bets are more risky than others and offer a higher payout if they win.
Before each round of roulette, the dealer clears off the losing bets and pays the winners. Then, the croupier throws a white ball into the spinning wheel. It may take a few seconds for the ball to land in one of the slots that match your bets.
Roulette is a fast-paced game that can be played at almost any casino that has table games. It’s also an exciting and relatively inexpensive way to spend some time. Just be sure to set a budget before you start playing.
Each roulette table carries a placard listing the minimum and maximum bets allowed. Choose a table that fits your budget, then talk to the dealer (or “croupier”) about buying chips. You’ll need to decide what denomination you want each chip to represent — it could be anything from $1 to $100, depending on the table. The dealer will then mark the chips to indicate their value.
The outside bets, or “positions,” are wagers that the winning number will appear in a specific section of the wheel — either the first 18 numbers (1-18) or the last 18 numbers (19-36). If the ball lands on a 0, you lose. This is an even-money bet that pays 1-1. The Dozens Bet, also known as douzaine in French, is a wager that the winning number will be in the first dozen (12), second dozen (18) or third dozen (18). This is another even-money bet with a payout of 2-1. The High or Low Bet, called passe et manque in French, is a bet that the winning number will be either the highest or lowest on the table. The house gets its edge here from having a 0 and a 00, which don’t count as red or black, high or low.