A popular casino game for more than 300 years, Roullete (French for little wheel) is easy to learn but offers a surprising level of depth for serious betters. A few simple rules, the right table, and a clear strategy can lead to substantial profits.

Roulette is a casino game in which players place bets on a single number or various groupings of numbers, the color red or black, whether the number is odd or even, and other characteristics. The game originated in the 17th century and is a descendant of the Italian game Biribi. The modern roulette wheel is a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape with a rim holding thirty-six metal or porcelain compartments, called separators or frets by roulette croupiers, painted alternately red and black, with a green section on American wheels containing the number 0.

The small white ball thrown into the spinning wheel bounces off varying numbers of pockets until it comes to rest in one. A symmetry in the layout of the numbers on the table and the wheel, combined with the fact that the numbers are alternately high and low, creates the odds that the ball will land on a specific number, which is indicated by its color and the sign posted above it.

Each roulette table carries a placard with the minimum and maximum bets allowed. Choose a table within your budget and always wager with your bankroll. Don’t dip into your winnings or hope that other players will help you win; this is cheating and can result in a ban from the casino. Instead, be sure to start with “outside bets,” which are grouped by their odds of hitting: the Dozens bet, for instance, pays 2-1 and is easily visible on the betting grid. Then, if you’re feeling lucky, try the number slots or the columns bets.