Roulette is a casino game that offers glamour, mystery and excitement to gamblers from all over the world. While many players believe that this game requires a certain level of skill and knowledge, the truth is that it is very simple to play. All you need to do is correctly guess which color, number or section of the roulette table you will bet on and watch the ball whizz around before dropping into one of the pockets.
This game has a long and fascinating history, starting in the 17th century. It has since been played in numerous gambling dens and casinos throughout Europe and the United States. While fanciful stories have claimed that the game was invented by 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal or by a Dominican monk, it is widely agreed that roulette evolved from two older games called hoca and portique. The current roulette wheel and layout were first patented in Paris in 1790.
The wheel has 37 compartments numbered non-consecutively in red and black and a single green zero. The numbers are arranged so that there is an equal amount of high and low bets. Originally the game was popular in France but when it moved to New Orleans it quickly gained popularity in America. The US version has a double zero pocket and is known as American roulette.
A dealer runs the game and clears losing bets from the table. The winning bets are then credited to the player. The game is usually played with colored chips to help differentiate between the different bettors. This helps avoid confusion and makes it easy for the dealer to see who is playing which bet. In the case of a tie, the dealer will mark the winning bet with a marker. The winnings are then withdrawn as normal casino chips. The remaining roulette chips are left on the table and will be reclaimed by the dealer upon request.
