Roulette is one of the most popular casino games in the world, offering glamour and mystery to players at casinos and online. While the game is relatively simple, there is a surprising depth of betting options that can help experienced players make big wins. The best way to play is to set your own limits and to walk away when you have reached them. The game can be highly addictive and it is very easy to lose track of your spending.
Choosing the Right Roulette Wheel
A croupier spins a small white ball around a table-mounted spinning wheel. The wheel has numbers from 0 to 36 (or 38 on American tables) and an extra green pocket marked as ’00’. Bets are placed on the table, correlating to the pockets on the wheel that the ball can land in. The house edge is based on the difference between these odds and the probability of hitting your chosen number.
The size and material of the roulette ball also have a significant impact on how the game plays. Traditionally, professional roulette balls have been made from ivory. However, today the balls used at casino roulette are made from a variety of materials including resin, Teflon and even ceramic. The differences in the size, weight and material of the balls have a noticeable impact on how the wheel spins and how the ball lands. A smaller, lighter ball tends to spin faster and jump more unpredictably, before landing on a number, than a large, heavier ivorine ball would.
Before starting to bet, the croupier clears the table of losing bets and sets chips in various denominations on the winning numbers. A spin of the wheel then takes place and when the ball drops into a pocket, the croupier pays out the winning bets according to the payout table.
When playing roulette online, you should always select a table within your budget. Each roulette table carries a placard that describes the minimum and maximum bets allowed. Usually, the maximum bet for outside bets is higher than for inside bets. If you want to bet more than the table’s maximum, ask the dealer for coloured roulette chips.
The payout for a straight bet, if it hits, is 392 chips. This bet type combines the best of both worlds: an even-money bet and a high payout. The table is divided into two sections: the inner area with all the 36 numbered squares that are either red or black, and the outer areas which cover a broader range of numbers like odd or even.
The table layout is symmetrical with the numbers on the wheel, meaning that every other row has three even-numbered or three odd-numbered rows. You can place a bet on any number, but it is more advantageous to bet on the numbers that are closer to the center of the table. This is because the odds of hitting these bets are much higher than a single number bet.