Roullete, or roulette, has offered glamour and mystery to casino-goers since the 17th century. The game is easy enough for beginners to play and offers a surprising level of depth for serious betters. But no matter how skillful a player is, the house always has an edge.

The roulette wheel is a solid wooden disk, slightly convex in shape with metal separators (called frets by croupiers) around the edge. Thirty-six of these compartments are painted red and black in a nonconsecutive pattern, while a single green compartment on European wheels, and two green ones on American wheels, occupy the spots reserved for the numbers 0. On each spin, a ball is rolled along the wheel to a stop, and players place their chips on the desired number slots.

Before each round, the dealer clears the table of losing bets and pays the winners. Then the dealer announces ‘no more bets’ to prevent cheating or additional advantages from being gained by any of the players.

Many people try to improve their odds by watching other players and betting according to what they see other players do. But while it might be entertaining, this strategy won’t significantly improve the chances of winning more than luck alone. Players should also set a budget before they hit the roulette tables and choose a table that’s within their betting limits. A roulette table’s placard will tell you the minimum and maximum bets allowed. A good way to play is to start by placing bets on ‘outside’ bets, which pay off at a lower rate but have a higher probability of hitting.