Roullete is a game of chance involving a spinning wheel and bets on the outcome. The name derives from the French word for “little wheel.” It is a simple, yet dramatic game with an alluring mystique that has made it one of the most popular casino games in the world. The game was developed in France in the early 18th century from earlier roulette and hoca games, with its present layout and wheel structure by about 1790. It was brought to America where it became widely played in gambling dens.
There are many different bets that can be placed on a roulette table. These include: the Street bet, also known as cheval in French, which involves placing your chip(s) to straddle the line between two numbers on the layout. This bet pays out 17-1. The Line bet, also known as sixain in French, is a simpler bet that is similar to the Street bet, except that you are betting on a row of three consecutive numbers. This bet pays out 11-1. There are also several other bets called outside bets, which involve betting on a group of numbers without identifying any specific ones. These bets offer lower payouts if you win, but are less risky.
The roulette wheel is a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape, with thirty-six compartments painted alternately red and black (on European wheels a 37th green compartment carries the sign 0, while on American wheels a single zero and double zero are displayed as a single green compartment). When you place your bet, the croupier will throw a small ball into the wheel. After the spin, the ball will land in one of the pockets marked with a number.