Roulette is a casino game that is purely based on chance. It has a number of different bets that vary in their payouts. These bets are placed by players on a table that is clearly marked with specific places for each type of bet.

Before the croupier spins the wheel, players place chips on the betting mat. Then, the croupier throws a ball into the spinning wheel.

Origin

It’s difficult to pin down exactly where roulette came from. There are a number of fanciful stories about its invention, including 17th-century French scientist Blaise Pascal’s search for a perpetual motion machine. Other games, such as portique, hoca, bassette, and roly poly, are also considered precursors to roulette. In any case, it was in the 18th century that the game began to take on its current name and layout.

There are also rumors that the game originated in Roman times, but there isn’t sufficient evidence to support this claim. What’s certain is that as European immigrants moved to America, they brought with them some of their favorite gambling games. One of these was roulette, which became popular in the American casinos. It wasn’t long before the Blanc brothers came up with a way to make the roulette wheel more profitable by getting rid of the double-zero pocket.

Variations

There are many variations of Roulette, each with its own rules and payouts. Some are more complex than others and some have higher house edges than others. If you’re a new player, it’s best to stick with the variations that follow the European format and have a friendly house edge. You can also try games with special bets and rules like Double Ball Roulette, which offers double outside bets and lower payouts. You can also find games with bonus features like Key Bet Roulette, which boosts winnings by expanding betting options. And there are variations that offer different payouts, such as IGT’s Triple Bonus Spin Roulette, which pays out up to 1:12,000 for a straight bonus win.