Roulette is a simple, classic game based around a large spinning wheel, and the fate of a small marble spun inside of it. Roulette’s rules govern how we may bet on the fate of that marble (in more modern times, it’s become a plastic ball), the when’s, the how’s and the where’s. The roulette wheel is broken up into small compartments, each compartment labeled with a number and a color. The wheel is spun, and a small ball is released to fall into the spinning wheel. The ball will eventually come to rest in one of the small compartments, and it’s where the ball comes to rest that is of interest to the roulette bettor. The number of compartments on the wheel depends on the style of roulette being played. There are a few short numbers of

As a gambler, you can make one of any number of bets available on the table. Each of these bets fall into one of two categories: inside bets and outside bets. Inside bets are located on the inner section of the table, and are all labeled with a specific number. Almost all inside bets pay off at the same odds in standard roulette rules. Outside bets are located along the outer edge of the table and are usually associated with a characteristic of the compartment the ball ended up in (whether it’s an odd number, a red compartment, part of range of numbers, etc.).

We will have a look at each inside and outside bet available to us in the next section. For now let’s have a look at how to play roulette. Roulette rules are fairly uncomplicated, but there is plenty of opportunity to make a mistake, so it’s best to read up first.

If you want to get right into the game, you should lay your money or chips down on the table during the betting period. When you do this, make sure you say out loud to the dealer that you want to cash in, so that they don’t mistake your bankroll for a bet. The dealer will take your cash or regular casino chips, and give you roulette chips, which are unique in the casino. You get to choose your denomination (from $1, up to $100 or more), and all of your chips will be worth this amount. The chips you get are all the same color, and you will be the only player at the table using this color chip. The dealer knows which bets are yours by color, and places a marker on a stack of that color on the dealer’s side to indicate what the chips are worth. So if you’ve ever wondered how some simple roulette rules manage to keep track of the mess created on the table, now you know!