Roulette is a table game that uses chips to bet on a number or group of numbers. When the ball stops on a number, winning bettors are paid according to the odds.

Having an understanding of the rules and house edge is essential for anyone planning on playing roulette. It’s also important to know which bet types have the highest chances of success.

Origins

The origin of roullete, or roulette, is a bit of a mystery. Some scholars believe that the game was invented in 1655 by French mathematician Blaise Pascal while he was trying to develop a perpetual motion machine. Other historians believe that the game was derived from older games such as hoca and portique, and that it was introduced to France by Dominican monks who traveled across China.

Whatever the true origin, a version of roulette soon appeared in France and became popular among the country’s upper class. It took its name from the French word for “little wheel.” Today, the game is a staple of casinos around the world. It is also played in many social and sporting events. The game’s popularity continues to rise.

Variations

There are several different variations of roulette that offer players a wide range of betting options. Some of these include Lightning Roulette, which has prizes from additional bets that multiply your winnings. This game also offers double-ball payouts. Another variant is European Roulette, which has a 37-segment wheel and house edge of 2.7%.

In differential geometry, a roulette is a curve generalizing cycloids, epicycloids, hypocycloids, trochoids, and involutes. It is defined by a point (called the generator) attached to a given curve as that curve rolls without slipping along a fixed curve. The resulting curve is the locus of the generator subjected to congruence transformations. In other words, the generator is tangent to both the rolling and the fixed curves. The curves must be differentiable.