Roulette is a game of chance, played on a spinning wheel and a betting table. Players place bets on numbers, colors or ranges and then watch as the wheel spins to determine their winning combinations. The game has many variations, but the most common ones are European Roulette and American Roulette. Each has a different house edge and a distinct betting layout.
The table consists of a green felt surface with different areas that correspond to various types of bets. The numbers 1-36 are evenly spaced across the table, while the 0 and 00 spaces are separated by rows of two or three numbers. Every area on the table represents a possible bet type, and each one has its own unique payout and odds.
Once all bets are placed, the dealer spins the wheel in one direction while rolling a small ball in the opposite direction around a tilted circular track that runs along the outer edge of the wheel. When the ball reaches the end of the track, it will be released into one of the 37 or 38 numbered pockets on the wheel, thereby determining the winning number. Once a winning number is determined, the dealer will immediately split all even-money bets in half, with the house keeping the other half.
There are several betting strategies used to maximize a player’s chances of success in roulette, including the Martingale strategy, in which players increase their bet size after each loss and then decrease it after a win. The D’Alembert system is another popular method, in which players raise their bets in a mathematical progression.
The most common bets in roulette are the inside and outside bets. Inside bets involve placing bets on a single or small group of numbers, and the winning odds are lower than those for outside bets. Some examples of inside bets include the straight-up bet (one number), the split bet, the street bet and the corner bet. Outside bets include the red/black, odd/even, high/low and dozens bets.
In addition to the basic bets, there are also specialty bets such as en prison, which allows players to reclaim half of their even money bets when the zero comes up. Other specialty bets include the Fibonacci and D’Alembert systems, which are similar to the Martingale strategy in that they both involve raising a player’s bet after each loss.