Roulette, the fast-paced game with the ball and spinning wheel that for many symbolises the whole idea of gambling, dates all of the way back to 18th -century France.
It's a game with a rich history, often thought to have first originated as a by-product of the philosopher Blaise Pascal's investigations into perpetual motion. It's been evoked many times in popular culture, from the novels of Dostoevsky to the table in Rick's café in Casablanca. And it remains a staple of the casino experience.
Like many other casino games, in roulette players compete against "the house" and not against each other. This makes roulette a great game for socialising and sharing in the fun of taking a chance alongside others and trying to turn a little into a lot.
Game Play
Roulette wheels consist of 36 numbered slots, with half of the numbers coloured red and the other half black. There is also a 37th slot marked "0" or zero, and in some cases (including most American casinos) there is a 38th slot, the "00" or double zero.
Game play is relatively simple. After purchasing chips from the croupier -- the person charged with operating the wheel and managing payouts -- players place bets on where the ball will land and win or lose accordingly. There are usually minimum and maximum bets allowed at a given table, so check before you sit down that the amounts are within your desired range.
Players place chips on a large board connected to the wheel to indicate how they are betting. The board usually features a grid with numbers, plus boxes along the sides for making other kinds of bets. Once bets are placed, the wheel is spun in one direction and the croupier sends the ball around the outside ring in the opposite direction.
Eventually the ball falls into one of the numbered slots, at which point the croupier will place a marker -- called a "dolly" -- on the winning number. He then collects chips from the losing bets, pays out winning bets (if there are any), and the sequence resumes once more.
Types of Bets
There are numerous types of bets you can make, with payouts adjusted according to the probabilities of success. While rules vary from casino to casino, many types of bets are common to most roulette games.
A "straight-up" bet is a bet on a single number. The payout for a winning "straight-up" bet is 35-to-1.
A "split" bet is on two adjacent numbers on the roulette board. Such a bet is made by placing your chip(s) on the line between those two numbers. If the ball lands on either number, the payout is 17-to-1.
There are other combinations that can be tried, such as betting on four numbers at once by placing your chips on the intersection of four squares on the table (payout 8-to-1). You can also bet on entire rows or columns of numbers, the top line (0, 00, 1, 2, and 3), and so forth with the payouts all determined by the chances of hitting the numbers on which you're betting.
Another popular bet to make is on the colours red or black. There are 18 red numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 30, 32, 34, 36) and 18 black ones (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29, 31, 33, 35). Those bets are made by placing your chips on the designated area alongside the grid of numbers, with winning bets paying out 1-to-1 (doubling your bet).
You can similarly bet on the odd or even numbers (also paying out 1-to-1), or numbers 1-18 or 19-36 (again, paying out 1-to-1). Or you can bet on the first dozen (1-12), second dozen (13-24), or third dozen (25-36) (paying out 2-to-1).
For all of those bets you'll also look for the appropriate box on the side of the table where you'll place your chips before the next spin. For this reason, these bets on groups of numbers are often called "outside bets," while the ones made on particular numbers within the grid on the table are called "inside bets."
It's a game that's easy to learn and can provide a lot of entertainment for those looking for a quick-moving, exciting gambling experience.