Roullete is one of the most popular casino games, offering glamour, mystery, and excitement. It has attracted gamblers since the 17th century, and its rules are relatively simple. Despite its simplicity, the game has a surprising depth for serious betters, and the right strategy can reap high rewards.
The game evolved from the older hoca and portique games in Europe, and was introduced to America in 1836. The roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape, with metal separators, called frets or “canoes” by roulette croupiers, and 36 compartments (called pockets) painted alternately red and black. There is also a green compartment numbered 0 and two other green compartments numbered 1 and 2.
Each roulette table carries a placard describing the minimum and maximum bets allowed. Each bet is placed against the house and pays off at odds based on where the ball comes to rest. Bets may be placed on a single number, various groupings of numbers, the color red or black, whether the number is odd or even, and on other symmetries of the wheel.
Many people have claimed to beat the maths of roulette, but there is no definitive proof that any betting system can overcome its built-in disadvantage. However, casinos could limit prediction by limiting the number of players and by requiring that all bets be made in advance of the spinning of the wheel.