How to Win at Roulette
Roulette has brought glamour and mystery to casino-goers since the 17th century. Its rules are simple enough for newcomers to understand, but it also offers a surprising level of depth for serious betters. The right strategy can reap high rewards.
The game is played on a circular table with a black and red color scheme and a numbered layout. A croupier spins a ball in one direction while the wheel in another, and players place bets on individual numbers, groups of numbers, or colors. Bets can also be placed on whether a number is odd or even, and on the presence of a zero or double zero.
In the United States, the American roulette wheel has 38 sectors, including two green ones. This increases the house edge by 5.3% over European roulette.
The simplest way to play is to place chips on the end of any “street” (row of three numbers) on the table map. This bet is cheaper and has a higher chance of winning than other bets. The table maps also contain the chip denominations. For example, the number 1 costs 37 chips to bet and pays 392 chips if won.
There are many systems that claim to improve a player’s odds, but the only reliable way to win at roulette is to make smart bets and know when to walk away. Many players like to watch the other players, hoping that they can pick up on a secret, or trying to do the opposite of their opponents’ actions, but this won’t increase your odds more than a random coincidence. In fact, observing other players may even decrease your chances of winning.