Roulette is probably the most popular casino game. Its pretty hard to imagine a casino without a roulette table. The game is so simple beginners and more seasoned players have exactly the same chance of winning.
Roulette is played with a wheel and a small ball. The wheel is divided up in to 37 sections (or 38 with the double zero American version) each with a different number and colour. The roulette wheel is spun and the ball dropped in to wheel. The aim of the game is predict where the ball will land. The harder to predict outcomes provide a greater payout. For example, a single number has a 1 in 37 chance of coming out, whereas a bet on black is more or less an even more chance.
There are two main types of bets you can have on the roulette table. The most popular with beginners are the outside bets. These are red/black, odd/even high/low, dozen bets and column bets. These bets are pretty self explanatory, especially when looking at the betting area. These bets win more often that the inside bets. The payout is less but the risk of a fast bankruptcy are practically zero. If you play too much, you will still go bankrupt but it happens quicker on average with inside bets.
Inside bets are when you bet on single numbers, splits (2 numbers), street (3 numbers), corner bets (4 numbers) and/or 6 Line (six numbers). These come in much less often but payout more to compensate. The thrill seekers and more experienced players generally place these bets. In a land casino, you get people buying “colours” which are usually 50p chips which you can place on the inside.
Some casinos offer more exotic bets based on the positions on the roulette table sequence. More information about this can be found on the roulette bets page.
Due to the fact that roulette has a green zero, the game has a negative expectation. A bet on red will payout double but the chances of a red are slightly less than evens. 18/37 (48.6%). For the game to be fair, the chance of a red would have to be exactly 1/2 (50%).
Some people claim the game of roulette is beatable. This is not true. Its a game that should be played for fun with money you can afford to lose. If you want to win playing games, consider poker, rummy or backgammon. These games have an element of skill whereas roulette is pure luck.
Read about roulette systems.