Roulette is a game based entirely on luck and is one of the most popular games in online casinos. It is played by throwing a small ball onto a rotating wheel that has numbered slots and players bet on which one it will land in. There are a number of different betting options and many side bets available as well. It is also very easy to learn and play.
The Roulette wheel consists of two basic parts: a stationary bowl and a rotating wheelhead that settles in it. On the outside of the wheel is a randomized sequence of numbers from 1 to 36, and on the inside, a series of metal separators or frets, sometimes called “canoes” by roulette croupiers, that form the compartments for the numbers. The compartments are alternately painted red and black, and on European-style wheels, a green pocket carries the number 0.
To play Roulette you give the dealer your money by placing it on the table and asking for “color”. They will then place a coloured chip in front of you, which is worth the value of your bet, on the roulette table (aka layout). Once you’ve got some colour chips you can then wager however you like.
Traditionally, bets are placed on either the even or odd sections of the wheel, on the first 18 or last 18 numbers (1-18 and 19-36 respectively), on a high or low bet (passe et manque in French), or on a single number. The croupier then spins the wheel and throws a ball into it, and players watch to see where it lands.
If the ball lands in a pocket marked with your number, you win! Unlike American Roulette, where the house gets an edge because of the presence of a 0 and 00, in European roulette the odds are more in your favour.
In addition to the traditional bets, there are a number of other special bets you can make with your colour chips. These bets include a split bet, which is made by placing your chips to straddle the line between two numbers and winning if either of them wins; a street bet, which covers a whole row of three consecutive numbers; or the trio bet, which is made by betting on a row with just the outside border of each of the sides.