Roullete is a gambling game in which players place bets on a number, various groupings of numbers, the color red or black, whether the number is odd or even, and the high or low number (19-36). The croupier spins a small ball into a revolving wheel. If a player’s bet is a winner, the croupier pays out their chips according to the betting odds.

The word roulete combines two French words: roule (wheel) and la roulette (“a little wheel”). It was first used in the 17th century, but its origin is unclear. Some theories credit the wheel to a French mathematician named Blaise Pascal, who was interested in perpetual motion machines. In the late 18th century, roulette became popular in casinos and other gambling establishments in Europe.

A roulette wheel is a circular metal disk, slightly convex in shape. Around its perimeter are a series of thirty-six numbered compartments, painted alternately red and black. A 37th compartment, painted green and numbered 0, appears on European-style wheels; on American wheels there are two additional green compartments, numbered 0 and 1.

Before the spinning of the ball, players make bets by placing chips on a table. The precise placement of the chips indicates the bet made. Typically, the dealer will indicate to the player how much each of her roulette chips is worth and parcels them out accordingly. In Europe, the roulette table is traditionally adorned with French terms and a roulette mat; in America a different style of mat and English terminology are used.

Unlike most casino games, roulette bets can have an edge, though it is far less than that of craps. Despite this, the house edge is quite predictable and a simple analysis shows that it is largely independent of bet type. Nonetheless, there are a few strategies that can improve the player’s chances of winning, but they are not foolproof.