Roulette is a game of chance, where players place bets on numbers and their colors on a table. The croupier spins the wheel and then drops a ball into one of the pockets marked with a number.
Bets placed on groups of numbers are known as outside bets and usually pay out less than individual digit bets. They also have lower odds of winning.
Game of chance
Some people claim that roulette is a game of pure chance, but this is not always true. In fact, there are some things that you can do to determine how much of the outcome of the game is influenced by skill or luck. You can also use certain betting systems to help you win at the game of roulette. These betting systems are advertised online and promise to enable you to beat the odds of roulette.
Variations
There are several different types of Roulette. The main difference between them is the number of pockets on the wheel. The most popular version is European Roulette, which has only 38 pockets and a single zero. It is easier to play and has a lower house edge. Other variations of the game include Double Action Roulette, which utilises a special Mark VII wheel, and French Roulette, which features a racetrack layout and numbered bets with their French names.
Origins
The game of roulette has a long and fascinating history. There are many stories of its origin, but the best known is that it was invented by the 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal as part of his search for a perpetual motion machine. Another theory is that it was introduced to France by Chinese monks, and was subsequently adopted by French noblemen who frequented the gilded gaming parlours of pre-revolutionary Paris.
There is also a suggestion that the game originated in Rome, where Roman soldiers played games using shields with symbols written on them. These were then spun in front of an arrow to determine the outcome of a bet. These games are believed to have been the forerunners of modern roulette, which combines elements of English games such as Roly Poly and Even-Odd, and Italian games such as Biribi.