Roulette has been a popular gambling game since the 17th century, and it offers a great deal of excitement for players. However, it is important to understand the game’s rules before you play in order to minimize your risk and maximize your chances of winning big.
The Roulette Wheel
The wheel in a roulette game is made up of a series of compartments that are painted red or black and numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. There are also two green compartments, numbered 0 and 00, that appear on American-style wheels.
There are several different ways to bet on the wheel, including using chips, placing your bet on a specific number, or betting on multiple numbers. The most common and straightforward way to bet is with a single chip.
The Split Bet: This is a clever way to place a bet on a group of two numbers, and it pays out 17-1. The best part is that you only have to use one chip, making it a good choice for beginner gamblers.
Street Bet: This is a similar bet to the split bet, but you place your chip(s) on the outside border of a row of three consecutive numbers. This bet pays out 11-1.
Dozens: This is a good bet if you want to wager on the first dozen numbers on the table. This is a particularly interesting bet because it is the only one where you can bet on both the first 12 and the second 12.
Odd or Even: If you’re willing to wager on all 18 odd or even numbers, this is another bet that can be an impressive winner. You’ll pay more than a million dollars for the jackpot prize if you win, but this is still the most expensive and least effective bet in the game.