Roullete is a game of chance that has offered glamour, mystery and excitement to casino-goers since its invention by French mathematician Blaise Pascal in the 17th Century. Roulette has a surprising depth of strategy for serious betters and can be a lucrative game when you play with a plan. Whether you prefer the single-zero European version or the double-zero American version, we can help you learn to play correctly and get the most out of your gaming experience.
A good roulette strategy starts with a well-defined budget for the session. Set this amount based on your bankroll and stick to it throughout the session. This is a great way to ensure that you always have a small profit margin if you win. It also prevents you from dipping into your winnings to try and recover a lost round.
When the dealer says, “Place your bets,” players put chips on the betting mat according to their preferred bets. All bets are placed in one of two categories: inside bets and outside bets. Inside bets cover individual numbers, while outside bets cover groups of numbers, such as columns or dozens.
The numbers on the betting mat are color-coded. Red numbers are called “Inside bets,” while black numbers are referred to as “Outside bets.” Each number on the wheel has its own color and has specific positions on the table map. In addition, there are certain symmetries to the layout that affect the odds of each bet.
Despite the fact that roulette is a game of chance, the rules are simple enough for most people to understand. Before the ball is rolled, the dealer clears the table of losing wagers and pays any winners. Players should not touch the table until this happens.
Once the ball is landed on a number, the dealer places a marker on the number and announces the result. The loser bets are then cleared off the table and the winner’s are paid. Then the dealers reposition the chip-markers for the next spin.
While there is no sure-fire way to predict which number the ball will land on, some people swear by watching other players, hoping that they know something the others don’t or do the opposite of their own actions. However, this method will only improve your chances by a small margin and does not improve the odds of hitting the ball on a particular number. The house edge on a straight bet, for example, is still 35:1. You can improve your odds even further by playing a variant of the European roulette game that offers a “La Partage” rule. This allows you to keep half your bets if the zero wins, so this lowers the house edge to just 1.35%. This is still higher than on the European roulette wheel, but much lower than on the American one. The single-zero version of roulette is also available at some online casinos.