The Basics of Roulette
Roulette is one of the most popular forms of gambling for several reasons. First off, it is among the simpler games in the casino – simply put your money down on a square and hope that it hits. Second, there is a lot of excitement at the table, especially at high-stakes tables where there are a lot of chips moving back and forth between the players and the house. Although people at the table might not be as vocal as those playing craps, you can imagine the tension that they feel as they see the ball bounce towards their number as the wheel slowly turns to a halt. Finally, roulette’s popularity is due to the fact that it is possible to win (and lose) a lot of money in a very short amount of time – covering just one or two numbers and hoping to hit big provides the requisite rush for those who love to go “all-in” with their gambling.
Generally, a roulette table consists of just two main parts that one needs to worry about – the wheel and the betting board. The wheel consists of 38 squares that contain the numbers 1-36, each on either a red or black background, as well as two green zero spaces (in European roulette, there is only one zero, which increases the players odds on many bets). Before each spin of the wheel, there is a set time in which the player puts his/her bet down on the desired square (individual bets will be covered in another article). After about a minute or so, the croupier will wave his hand over the board and announce that all bets need to be placed and finalized. Once all of the bets are in place, the wheel is spun and a small, metal ball is put into motion in the direction opposite that of the wheel. The wheel will then spin until it stops of its own volition, at which point bets will be paid off depending on the numbered space in which the ball landed.
At this point, you should be able to sit down at a roulette table and not feel intimidated by the rules. Placing bets and individual strategies will be covered in another section.