Roullete, also known as Roulette, is a casino game based on the spinning of a numbered wheel. A small ball is tossed onto the revolving wheel and when it comes to rest, the number it sits on determines whether a player has won. Players may choose to bet on a single number, various groupings of numbers, the color red or black, or even or odd. Bets are placed on a table that corresponds to the compartments of the wheel.
The roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape with metal partitions called separators or frets and 39 compartments, painted alternately red and black. A 37th compartment, painted green, carries the number 0 on European wheels, while on American tables there are two extra green divisions with the numbers 00. The wheel is balanced so that it spins smoothly in an almost frictionless manner.
Prior to the croupier throwing the ball into the wheel, players make their bets by placing chips on a betting mat. The exact placement of these chips indicates the type of bet made. Bets on six or fewer numbers are referred to as Inside bets, while those on 12 or more are Outside bets.
In addition to the standard bets, many casinos offer a “basket bet” that can be staked by placing chips on the dividing line between the zero row and the row featuring 1, 2 and 3. This bet pays 6 to 1 – giving it odds worse than any other outside bet in the game. These bets should always be made with caution because they are in effect a pass/fail bet and can cost the player more than the initial investment.
