Roullete is one of the most popular casino games in the world and is a staple at online and land-based casinos around the globe. This simple game consists of placing chips on a roulette table to predict where the ball will fall when the wheel stops spinning. Based solely on luck, it is considered an exciting and addictive game to play. However, like any gambling game, it has its own set of pitfalls and risks that must be understood before playing.
The roulette wheel consists of a solid disk slightly convex in shape with a circumference that contains thirty-six metal compartments or pockets (often called frets) painted alternately black and red. A croupier spins the wheel and when it comes to a stop the ball will fall into a pocket with a number assigned to it by the staking order. The croupier then pays the winning bets based on their odds. Bets placed on individual numbers, various groupings of numbers and the color of a number are termed Inside bets. Bets on positions on the board are called Outside bets.
Before the wheel begins to spin, players make their bets by laying them on the betting mat. The precise placement of these chips indicates the bet being made. The croupier then announces the total payout for each bet and places a “puck” or small object on top of the betting mat to indicate which bet was hit on the last decision. The croupier will then remove the puck and the betting continues.
In the United States, due to rampant cheating by both operators and players, the wheel was modified and the betting layout simplified. The ensuing game became less lucrative for the operator and a new form of roulette was developed in the gambling dens up the Mississippi and then westward. The American version of roulette is considered to be less fair than the European game due to the presence of a double zero, which increases the house edge on all bets.