Roullete (Roulette) is a casino game in which players make bets on the outcome of a spinning wheel. Each player puts his or her chips on a betting mat, and a croupier then spins the wheel. The ball then lands on one of the numbers, groups of numbers, or colors (red or black) and the winners are paid according to their odds of winning. The game is easy to play, and there are many variations of the bets which are placed on the table.

The house edge in roulette is largely determined by the number of green pockets on the wheel. There are 18 red pockets and 18 black pockets, along with a single green pocket numbered 0 on American roulette wheels, and a second green pocket numbered 00 on European roulette wheels. This difference, combined with the payouts on a straight bet (35:1), means that the house has a higher advantage on the American version of the game than the European version.

Before placing bets, a roulette player should set a budget based on his or her available bankroll. This will allow the player to determine the maximum amount of money that can be bet during each session. This is a simple and effective way to manage risk and prevent over-betting.

When it comes to gambling, the casinos are always looking for an edge over the player. This is true for all games and in roulette it is especially true. While the probability of losing a bet is the same for all bets in roulette, there are some strategies that can decrease the house’s advantage.

The history of roulette is unclear, but it is thought to have been invented by a 17th-century French mathematician, Blaise Pascal, or by Dominican monks. In any case, the game soon became popular and has become a staple of many casinos and gambling houses.

A basic roulette wheel has 37 pockets, alternating between red and black with two additional green ones (zero and double zero on the American roulette wheel). There are a variety of rules and strategies for playing the game.

In the past, roulette balls were made of ivory but today they are usually manufactured from synthetic materials that resemble the appearance and feel of ivory. The size, weight and material of the ball has a major impact on its performance. A smaller, lighter ball makes more revolutions on the wheel and jumps around more unpredictably than a larger, heavier ball.

Each roulette table carries a placard that describes the minimum and maximum bets allowed. Each bet type has its own minimum and maximum, with inside bets typically having lower limits than outside bets. It is also important to understand the different types of roulette bets before making any wagers. Bets on individual numbers are called “Inside bets”, while bets on multiple numbers in a row are known as “Outside bets”.