Roullete is a casino game in which players place bets on the number or grouping of numbers that they believe will appear on a revolving roulette wheel. The resulting payout depends on whether the bet is placed inside or outside the table limits. Before the wheel is spun, players place their bets by laying down chips on a betting mat, the precise placement of the chip indicating the type of bet being made. Bets on one or more individual numbers are referred to as “Inside bets”. Bets on six or more numbers are known as “Outside bets”.

The game has offered glamour, mystery and excitement to casino-goers since it was invented in the 17th century. Its rules are simple and easy to understand and, for serious gamblers, the game offers a surprising level of depth.

A revolving dishlike device, the roulette wheel, has in its center a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape and around which are metal partitions known as frets and compartments, or canoes by casino croupiers. Thirty-six of these compartments, painted alternately red and black and numbered 1 to 36 in a seemingly random pattern, as well as two green divisions, numbered 0 and 00 on American-style wheels, are located on the wheel. The croupiers spin the wheel and, when it comes to rest, the ball will settle into one of these compartments.

Each roulette table carries a placard that describes the minimum and maximum bets allowed. Generally, the minimum bet is less than $5 and the maximum bet is $1,000. It is best to set a budget before playing the game and stick to it. If you win a bet, cash out the winning chips and continue betting with your predetermined budget. Avoid trying to outwit the other players by watching them, hoping they know something you don’t or doing the opposite of their actions (this does not improve your odds more than coincidentally). Instead, concentrate on placing your bets wisely.