If you bet on “red” (18 numbers total) or “odd” (also 18 numbers) and are correct, you win double your money. For example, if you bet on a single number and the ball lands on it, you win 35 times your bet.

Payouts are based on the odds of winning. Sometimes the bets are described as “outside” and “inside” bets, a reference to whether the bet appears inside the main box (on the numbers 1 through 36), or outside the box (the bets on ranges of numbers). When people are playing roulette they place their chips on the number on which they wish to bet.Īs you can see, the numbers appear horizontally in a rectangle, and on the bottom and right sides of the box appear other boxes where players can make bets on groups of numbers including: There is a felt table extending out from the wheel itself on which the numbers are printed. The outer edge of the wheel has numbered “pockets” all around it, and after the wheel stops spinning the ball settles in one of them, thereby determining which is the winning number and how the bets will be settled.Īll roulette wheels feature the numbers 1 through 36, with the half of the numbers marked “red” and the other half “black.” The European wheel features an additional zero slot - “0” - which is marked green to make it stand out. Roulette is a game in which players bet on where a ball will land following a spin of a roulette wheel. That particular practice fell away, but differences remain that produce what are now known as the three main variations of roulette: European roulette, French roulette, and American roulette. In fact, during the mid-1800s some of the first American roulette wheels not only featured numbers all around the edge, but a picture of an American Eagle as well. Roulette became an especially popular gambling game across Europe by the end of the 1700s and into the 1800s.ĭuring the 19th century roulette wheels were arranged slightly differently depending on where you were.

“Roulette” is actually a French word meaning “little wheel,” and that provides a clue regarding the game’s origins which date back to 17th-century France. Here is a quick primer for those curious about the different roulette games available in brick-and-mortar or online casinos. However if they aren’t already familiar with roulette they may not realize there are different variations for that popular casino game as well. Poker players know all about the many different ways to play their favorite card game.

American vs european roulette wheel