The Basics of Roulette

Roulette has offered glamour, mystery and excitement to casino-goers since the 17th century. This simple game based entirely on chance has a surprising amount of depth for serious betters, who can reap high rewards with the right strategy. Before you start betting your money, however, it’s a good idea to understand the rules and the bet types.

To play roulette, you place chips on the table that correspond to the bet type you want to make. There are two categories of bets: inside and outside. Inside bets are placed on individual numbers or small groups of numbers, and have a higher house edge than outside bets. Outside bets are placed on a grouping of numbers based on color, whether they’re odd or even, or whether they’re high or low.

Once you’ve placed your bets, the croupier will spin the wheel and then throw a ball into it. The wheel has 38 pockets, including 18 red and 18 black ones, plus one or two green pockets (depending on the version of the game), which give the house an advantage. The ball will eventually land in a pocket marked with a number, and if you made the correct bet, you’ve won!

Each roulette table carries a placard that describes the minimum and maximum bets allowed, so before you lay your chips down, read this carefully. Then, choose a table within your budget that allows you to bet at least the minimum bet, which is usually $5 for inside bets and $1,000 for outside bets.

The Dozens Bet, or Douzaine in French, is a wager that the winning number will be in either the first dozen (1-18), second dozen (19-36), or third dozen (30-36). This is an even-money bet and pays out 2-1. The Odd or Even Bet, also called Passe et Manque in French, is a bet that the winning number will be either odd or even, but not both. This is an even-money bet and gives you a payout of 1:1.

The Line Bet or Six Number bet is another bet that covers a series of numbers by placing chips in the center of a square. This bet costs 8 chips to complete and pays out 5-1. The Corner Bet or Square is a bet that covers four adjacent numbers by placing the chips on the common edge. This bet costs 16 chips and pays out 6-1. The Street Bet is a bet that covers three numbers located on a horizontal line on the table by placing chips on the line at either end. This bet is a little more expensive than the previous two, but it offers the highest payout in roulette. It’s a great bet for new players.