Roulette is one of the most famous casino games and provides glamour, mystery, and excitement to players. It has been played around the world since the 17th century and continues to be an important game for casino owners. It is a game of chance, but can be controlled by using certain betting strategies and techniques. While there are many fanciful stories about the game’s origin, it is likely that it was derived from earlier games like hoca and portique.
The rules of the game are fairly straightforward and can be learned in a few minutes. Before a spin, the player places their chips on a betting mat and specifies their desired number slot. There are several types of bets, each with its own payout. Column bets have a ‘2 to 1′ inscribed at the bottom of a group of three columns on the table map and win if the ball stops within that section of the wheel. Dozen bets are placed on the first, second, or third ’12’ sections of the wheel and win if the ball falls into any of those numerals. Straight up bets on single numbers are more expensive and have a higher payout.
A croupier will then spin the wheel and allow the ball to fall into one of the thirty-six compartments on the wheel. These compartments are painted alternately red and black and numbered 1 through 36 in a non-consecutive pattern. On European-style wheels a 37th compartment is painted green and carries the sign 0; on American wheels there are two additional green ’00’ pockets.
The most popular variation of roulette is the French version. It is played in physical casinos and on online gaming platforms. It is the preferred version for new players as it has a much lower house edge than the American version. The difference is the presence of a single zero on the wheel, which reduces the overall house edge to a low 1.7%. The other main advantage is la partage, which allows a player to get half of their even-money bets back if the ball ends up in a zero pocket.