The Basics of Betting in Roulette

Roullete

Roulette is one of the world’s most popular casino games. It’s easy to play and understand with a minimal knowledge of maths, but it also offers a surprising depth of strategy for serious betters. In this article we will cover the basics of betting in this game, and then look at a few strategies that can help you improve your chances of winning.

A Roulette wheel consists of a solid, slightly convex disk with a series of metal partitions (or frets) separating thirty-six compartments, painted alternately red and black and numbered 1 to 36. There is also a green compartment marked 0 and on American wheels two extra green pockets labelled 00.

The Roulette wheel is spun and a ball then dropped into one of the slots. The winning number is then determined and paid out according to the table map. All bets are made in chips. The table map is a diagram of the numbers and their arrangement on the wheel. There are several symmetries in the layout: For example, number 2 pays 36 chips while zero costs 17 chips to complete, and so on.

Before the wheel is spun, players place their chips on a betting mat which clearly marks the location of each bet. The dealer then places the roulette ball in its corresponding slot on the table and pays out winners. Winning bets remain in place until the player requests to cash out, at which time they must remove them from the table and receive regular casino chips.

Most casinos offer a choice of roulette variants, including European Roulette and American Roulette. European Roulette has a much lower house edge than the more complicated American version. We recommend playing European Roulette whenever possible as it has the highest odds of winning.

If you’re a novice to Roulette, we recommend starting with bets on groups of numbers. These are known as Outside bets and generally have lower payouts but a higher chance of success. Avoid making grandiose bets as these are usually more risky and have a smaller chance of hitting. If you’re feeling lucky, try placing a bet on a single number.