Roulette is a game based entirely on chance. Players place their chips on a betting mat until the croupier (dealer) says, “No more bets.” Then they watch as the ball bounces around a wheel and settles in a pocket marked with a number.
Outside bets are placed on groupings of numbers, red or black, odd or even. They offer a lower payout but have a better chance of hitting.
Bets
There are a few different types of bets that players can make in roullete. Some of them are outside bets, while others are inside bets. Outside bets cover a larger number of numbers on the wheel and pay 2-1 if they win. These bets include the Dozens bet, the Columns bet, and the Line bet (known as sixain in French). Another outside bet is the Split Bet, which involves placing your chips to straddle the line between two numbers on the layout. This bet pays 17-1 if it wins. It is the most risky wager in the game. The Street Bet is another outside bet that pays 11-1 if it wins.
Origins
Although the origins of roulette are shrouded in mystery, there are a number of fanciful theories. Many people believe that the game was invented by 17th century French math wizard Blaise Pascal while he was trying to create a perpetual motion machine. However, evidence shows that roulette evolved from older games such as hoca and portique. The first reference to the game can be found in a set of regulations for Quebec (New France) in 1758, which prohibited the games of dice and faro.
There are also a few anecdotal reports that roulette may have originated in China and was introduced to France by Dominican monks. These early versions of the game had different names including cavagnole, biribi, and biribissi, and did not use a wheel but allowed players to make bets on individual numbers and red and black.