Roullete – or Roulette — is one of the most famous casino games in the world. Its history is rich in glamour and mystery, but it has a surprising depth of strategy for serious players to explore. Read on to learn about the game’s basic rules and the different bets you can place on it.

The name “roulette” derives from the French word for little wheel. The game’s origins are obscure, but its popularity spread quickly across France’s illegal gambling dens in the early 1790s and reached New Orleans in the US by 1843. The American version of the game featured a double zero wheel, and the French siblings Louis and Francois Blanc introduced a single-zero pocket in 1843, which radically reduced the house edge and made the game much more popular worldwide.

A roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape, with metal partitions around its circumference (called frets or compartments by roulette croupiers) that are painted alternately red and black. Thirty-six of these compartments are numbered consecutively from 1 to 36, while a green compartment on European-style wheels and two on American wheels carry the numbers 0 and 00. The roulette wheel spins on a perfectly balanced shaft.

While there are several strategies for playing roulette, most experts recommend starting with small bets and working up to larger ones. This will help you avoid losing too much money and it can also help you learn the game without risking too much at a time.

Choosing the right table for you

It’s best to play in a live dealer casino that offers the European variant of roulette. This type of game has a higher winning probability than the American version. It also has a low house edge, making it a great option for novice players who want to practice their skills. The European roulette version also has a special rule called en prison and la partage, which lowers the house edge even more.