How to Win at Roulette
Roulette is one of the few casino games that is based entirely on chance. Its popularity has made it a staple at casinos and gambling dens across the world. Although many casino owners have tried to stop players from cheating, there are still those who find ways to get an edge over the house. A simple Google search will reveal thousands (perhaps millions) of systems for playing and winning at roulette. Many of them are complex, but others are simpler to understand and use.
Before betting begins on a new round, the dealer clears the table and pays winners. Then, he spins the wheel and throws the ball. After the ball lands, the dealer will place a marker on the winning number and pause for a bit. This is to give everyone time to adjust their bets before the next spin.
The Roulette Wheel
The roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape. Around its rim are metal separators, called frets by roulette croupiers, and thirty-six compartments painted alternately red and black. On European wheels, a 37th compartment, painted green, carries the symbol 0; on American-style wheels, two green compartments containing the symbols 00 are located on opposite sides of the wheel.
There are a variety of theories about the origin of the game. The most widely accepted is that it was invented by 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal as part of his attempts to create a machine that could demonstrate perpetual motion. Other stories suggest that the game came from ancient China or was brought to Europe by Dominican monks.
The odds of winning a bet depend on the type of bet placed, with outside bets resulting in higher returns than inside bets. The best way to make money is to correctly guess the number or type of number the ball will land on. However, there are some common mistakes people make when playing roulette, such as placing bets on individual numbers instead of groups of numbers.