Roullete is a casino game in which players place bets on one or more numbers on a spinning wheel. The game originated in Europe and was popularized throughout the world in gambling dens, casinos and other gaming venues. Players wager against the house, betting on which red or black numbered compartment the ball will enter as it comes to rest in one of the roulette wheels. The odds of a winning bet vary depending on the type of bet and its placement on the table map.
A roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape with a series of metal separators, or frets, around its perimeter. Thirty-six of these compartments are alternately painted red and black and numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. A 37th compartment, painted green and numbered 0, is found on European wheels; two green compartments, marked 0 and 00, are located on American roulette wheels. The wheel is spun by a dealer, who also calls out the bets as they are placed.
While there are many theories on how roulette came into being, it is generally agreed that the game was derived from older games such as hoca and portique. Roulette evolved to its present form by the late 18th century and quickly became a staple of casino gaming.
Despite the simplicity of the game, roulette is a highly complex game with many different bets and variations on bet types. The game is primarily luck-based, but players can still apply a small amount of strategy to reduce the house edge. The key is to choose bets that offer a higher probability of success and avoid those that offer the lowest payouts.
Before each spin, players give the dealer a fixed number of chips equal to the minimum bet for that table. The dealer then gives the player coloured roulette chips with a value equal to that fixed number. Between spins, the dealer divides even-money bets (bets on individual numbers or groups of numbers) in half, keeping half for themselves and giving the other half to the player. This procedure, called La Partage, cuts the house edge on even-money bets to 2.70%, compared to 1.35% without it.