Roullete, which translates to ‘little wheel’ in French, is a casino game of pure chance, with no element of skill. Players place chips on a betting area of the table, choosing from inside bets (which have lower odds) or outside bets, which have higher odds and larger payouts. The dealer spins a wheel and a ball is rolled around it, with winners being paid according to the bet type.
During the late 18th century, roulette evolved into its current form as it made its way from France to gambling dens across the United States and Europe. Because of rampant cheating, the wheel and betting layout were modified to prevent devices from being hidden inside or on the table.
Today, the roulette wheel is a solid wooden disk, slightly convex in shape with metal compartments or pockets around its perimeter. Thirty-six of these pockets, alternately colored red and black, are numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. There is also a green pocket on American-style wheels that carries the number 0, while European-style wheels feature two green numbers on opposite sides of the wheel.
When the dealer announces “no more bets,” it is a good idea to take advantage of this opportunity, as it closes the betting area and prevents players from placing their chips when the wheel is about to come to a stop. This practice is intended to prevent the prediction of outcomes and any other forms of cheating.
Despite its many variants, roulette remains one of the oldest and most popular games in casinos. In the United States, however, it has a much smaller following than other casino games, such as slot machines, video poker, blackjack and craps, although it still draws large crowds at Monte Carlo and other European resorts.