Roulette is one of the most popular casino games in the world, offering glamour, mystery and excitement to players around the globe. While some people believe that the game is purely a result of luck, the truth is that players can use simple strategies to improve their chances of winning. Regardless of whether you prefer to play at online or land casinos, you can find a variety of roulette games that offer different payouts and rules. Some of these games include multiball roulette with up to three balls, no-zero roulette where the zero slot is eliminated and mini-roulette where players can bet on only 12 numbers.
The earliest games of roulette were probably played in a primitive form as early as the 15th Century. However, the modern roulette wheel was designed in the 17th Century by French mathematician Blaise Pascal. The wheel consists of a solid disk, slightly convex in shape and with metal compartments, or “frets,” around the perimeter. These compartments are alternately red and black and numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. On European-style wheels, there is also a green compartment numbered 0, while on American tables there are two additional green compartments numbered 0 and 00.
Prior to the spin of the wheel, players place bets on which number or groups of numbers the ball will fall into by laying down chips on a designated betting mat. Each table carries a placard describing the minimum and maximum bets allowed. Generally, the minimum bet is $5. The maximum bets are often much higher, depending on the type of bet and its odds of winning. The bets that pay off at the highest odds are known as inside bets.
In addition to the basic bets, roulette offers a variety of special bets that are called “call bets.” These bets require players to make a specific request before the dealer spins the wheel. Some of the call bets include:
The roulette ball used to be made of ivory, but today’s professional roulette balls are more likely to be made from resin, teflon or ceramic. The material and size of the ball impacts how it travels on the wheel’s track, with a smaller, lighter ball making more jumps before it comes to rest, than a larger, heavier one.
