How Do Roulette Bets Work?

Roulette is a casino game named after the French word meaning little wheel. In the game, players may choose to place bets on either a single number, various groupings of numbers, the colors red or black, whether the number is odd or even, or if the numbers are high (19–36) or low (1–18).

To determine the winning number and color, a croupier spins a wheel in one direction, then spins a ball in the opposite direction around a tilted circular track running around the circumference of the wheel. The ball eventually loses momentum and falls onto the wheel and into one of 37 (in French/European roulette) or 38 (in American roulette) colored and numbered pockets on the wheel.

The first form of roulette was devised in 18th century France. A century earlier, Blaise Pascal introduced a primitive form of roulette in the 17th century in his search for a perpetual motion machine.

The game has been played in its present form since as early as 1796 in Paris. An early description of the roulette game in its current form is found in a French novel La Roulette, ou le Jour by Jaques Lablee, which describes a roulette wheel in the Palais Royal in Paris in 1796. The description included details such as:.

There are two handles to spin the wheel; one handle for red and one for black. There are 37 compartments on the layout including 0. The croupier throws the ball into one end of the cylinder. The ball eventually falls into one of 37 red or black numbered pockets on the wheel.

Today, roulette is one of the most popular casino games in the world. Millions of people play it each year in land-based casinos and online. While there are many different bets that can be made, they all work essentially the same way. Players place their chips on the table layout where they believe the ball will land after it is spun around the Roulette wheel.

Once all bets have been placed, the dealer spins the Roulette wheel and drops a small ball into it. The ball eventually comes to rest in one of 37 (for European Roulette) or 38 (for American Roulette) numbered pockets on the Roulette wheel. If your bet was placed on that number or group of numbers, you win!.