How to Win at Roulette
Roulette, which means “little wheel” in French, has offered glamour, mystery and excitement to casino-goers since the 17th century. While it may seem simple enough, the game offers a surprising depth of strategy for serious betters. If you want to make money playing roulette, correctly guessing which number or type of number will appear on the revolving Roulette wheel and then betting appropriately on that number will win you the most money.
To play, place your chips in the area marked for that particular bet on the table map. The dealer will then spin the Roulette wheel and send a small white ball spinning until it lands in one of the slots. If you correctly guess which number or type of number will appear, you win the round and your winnings are added to your account.
The Roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk, slightly convex in shape, with a series of metal compartments called separators or frets around the edge. Thirty-six of these compartments, painted alternately red and black, are numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. The wheel also has a 0 and two green pockets (or a single 00 in American roulette) giving the house a slight edge.
Before you start betting, establish a bankroll based on your available funds. Then choose a unit to bet with — for example, one unit for D’Alembert. This ensures that your bet is always of the same size and that you will not lose more than you can afford to.
Each roulette table carries a placard describing the minimum and maximum bets allowed, so before you start placing your chips on the layout, read it carefully. Also, be sure to exchange color chips for value chips before leaving the table. If you’re unsure of how much to bet, start by wagering on “outside” bets, which cover groups of numbers rather than individual digits. These bets are cheaper than inside bets and have a higher likelihood of hitting.
When you’re ready to place your bets, wait for the dealer to clear the table of winning bets and then place your chip(s) on the appropriate spot on the map. Once the spin is completed, the dealer will place a marker on the winning number and clear the layout to pay the winners. If you win, remember to cash out your chips quickly and don’t dip into your winnings for future bets. Otherwise, you might be tempted to keep trying for that elusive big win and end up losing everything. Also, don’t try to beat the game by spying on your neighbors’ bets — it won’t help your odds of winning.