Roulette is a game of chance, in which a small ball spins around and settles into a compartment on a revolving wheel. Players place bets on which red or black numbered numbers the ball will fall into as it comes to rest. Depending on the bet, the player can win a large sum of money. The game originated in Europe and became popular among gamblers in the United States. Today, the roulette table is the focal point of a wide variety of gambling dens.

The roulette cylinder, originally called a “little wheel,” was invented in the 17th century by Blaise Pascal, the French physicist and philosopher. Essentially, the cylinder is a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape with a number of compartments or pockets etched into its surface. Thirty-six of these compartments are grouped together and painted alternately red and black. Two additional green compartments on American-style wheels carry the signs 0 and 00.

Before you can begin to play, you must choose a roulette table within your budget. Each table carries a placard that describes the minimum and maximum betting limits. In addition, the dealer or croupier will ask what denomination you wish to use to represent each chip. Typically, roulette chips are in denominations between $5 and $100. You may also purchase roulette chips in a multi-colored combination to mark each bet.

After settling your bets, the croupier will throw a ball onto the revolving wheel. Players continue to make their bets until the ball slows down and is about to land in a compartment. The winning numbers are then announced and the losing bets are cleared from the table.

Many bets are made on groups of numbers rather than individual digits, which are known as outside bets. These bets are more conservative plays, though they pay off at a lower rate than inside bets. They can include the first 12 numbers on the layout, one or more of the three dozen bets (which are groups of three consecutive numbers) and the high or low bet. The house gets its edge on this type of bet because neither the 0 nor the 00 count as either high or low. This bet pays out at 1-1. This bet is more conservative than the Street Bet or Six-Line Bet and is better suited to beginners, as it is less volatile.