Roulette is a game of chance in which players place bets on what number will come up by placing chips on a special betting mat. The precise placement of the chips indicates the bet being made. The bets that cover six numbers or less are called “Inside bets” and those that cover more than 12 numbers are known as “Outside bets.” The game was first invented in France in the early 18th century, although it evolved from older games hoca and portique. Since then it has become a popular casino game all over the world, with a variety of different rules and table layouts.

The roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape with metal compartments around the rim, known as frets or canoes. Thirty-six of the compartments, painted alternately red and black, are numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. In addition, the European roulette wheel contains a green compartment labelled 0 and the American version has an extra green pocket labelled 00.

When the game starts, a croupier throws a small ball into the spinning wheel and watches as it bounces around until it stops in one of the compartments that mark a specific number. The player who made a bet on that number wins. If the croupier’s announcement is “No more bets,” then the game is over and the winning bets are paid out.

If you are a beginner and have no experience in this game, we recommend that you play a free roulette game before deciding to bet real money. This way you can practice the game and get familiar with the rules, as well as the different types of bets available.

Choosing the right roulette strategy will help you increase your chances of winning. The most common strategy is to make a straight bet on one or more numbers. This type of bet pays out 1:1, which means that if you win, you will get your original stake back.

Other bets include the Split Bet (also known as a cheval in French) and the Street Bet/Three Number Bet/Side Bet/The Trio, which is placed by placing your chip(s) on the outside border of a row of three numbers. These bets pay out 17-1 if either of the two numbers wins.

If you want to play for real money, we recommend that you use a reputable online casino and try your luck with the European roulette game. This version of the game has a lower house edge than the American roulette, and some sites even offer a rule known as la partage, which reduces the house edge to 1.35%.