Roulette is a simple game that relies on chance. Players place their chips on the table and wait until the croupier announces “no more bets.” Then, they watch as the ball bounces around the wheel until it stops in one of the slots.
Inside bets are placed on individual numbers or small groups of numbers. These bets have a lower house edge but offer higher payouts.
Origin
The history of roulette is a little bit cloudy, but the game most of us know today emerged in 17th century France. It is thought to have evolved from the older games of Roly Poly, Even-Odd and Biribi. The rules for these games were similar to those of modern roulette, and they are thought to have been combined by the French aristocracy in gambling houses.
One theory claims that the game was invented by the French mathematician Blaise Pascal as part of his attempts to develop a wheel that could demonstrate perpetual motion. This is not likely, but it is one of many theories about the game’s origin. Another theory suggests that it originated in China and was brought to Europe by Dominican monks.
Bets
There are a number of betting opportunities when playing roullete. These bets range from placing chips on a single number to groups of numbers that appear together on the table. Outside bets pay 2-1 when they win, while inside bets have lower winning odds but higher payouts. Some of these include the Line Bet/Six Number Bet/Sixline Bet (also known as a sixain in French), which is similar to the Street bet, except your chip(s) will straddle the line between two rows instead of one. If you make a correct prediction, the payout is 5-1. The Split Bet/Three Number Bet/Side Bet is also 17-1.
