A roulette wheel is a wheel that spins inside a cylinder around which a ball rolls until the ball and
wheel finally come to rest, with the ball stopping in one of 38 divisions ( or 37 on modern European / South American tables) located at the edge of the wheel.
Before rolling the ball, players bet on the numbers that will come out by placing chips on a playing mat, the precise location of the chips indicating the bet. Roulette is a game of French origin and on a traditional table, the French terms on the betting area are still used even in English speaking regions. However, on most American tables the English terms and a slightly different style of carpet are used.
Players can bet on various “inside” bets (by selecting the number of the box in which the ball will land or a series of numbers depending on their position) and on various “outside” bets (including bets on various groupings of boxes. , box colors or even or odd).
The payoffs for each possibility are calculated against the probability of it happening. The table generally imposes minimum and maximum bets, and these rules generally apply separately for all “inside” and “outside” bets by a player in each round.
For “inside” bets, some casinos may use separate chips of various colors to distinguish players at the table. Players can continue to bet until the dealer announces “Nothing is going right”.
Much of the value of roulette comes from the number of different bets possible and the associated odds. Here is the list:
Pairs ”“ Red (red number), Black (black number), Pair (even number); Odd (odd number), Miss (1 ”“ 18), Pass (19 ”“ 36). Pass is so called because the ball has “passed” the center point. Manque is a French term meaning “failed”; it is used because the bullet could not have passed 18.- 2 to 1 ”“ “La Douzaine”. The first twelve numbers, the middle twelve numbers, the last twelve numbers. Place the bet in one of the boxes marked accordingly.
- 2 to 1 ”“ a column of twelve numbers. The bet is placed in the box at the end of one of the three columns of twelve numbers.
- 6 to 1 ”“ A set of 6 numbers. Place the bet at the intersection of two lines of three numbers to bet on the 6 numbers of those 2 lines.
- 9 to 1 ”“ “Full square”. A set of four numbers. Place the bet at the intersection of the square of four numbers you are betting on.
- 12 to 1 ”“ “Simple square”. A row of three numbers. Place the bet on the line that forms the end of the line of the three numbers you are betting on.
- 18 to 1 “On Horseback”. Two numbers. Place the bet on the line between the two numbers you are betting on.
- 35 to 1. A unique number. Place the bet in the box indicating the number in question. Bets on zero or double zero are allowed.
Ironically or perhaps prophetically, the sum of the numbers in a roulette wheel equals 666, which is the number of Antichrist (the devil) in the book of Revelation of the Bible.