The casino game Roullete, or roulette in English, is a game of pure chance. Barring exceptional circumstances, no strategy can overcome the built-in house edge. It’s not hard to understand why the game has one of the smallest followings in the world of casino games, especially in America, where players have more fun playing slot machines, video poker or blackjack. But in Europe, where casino gambling has long been a mainstay, roulette continues to draw large crowds.

The dealer spins a ball in one direction, spinning a small wheel around which are metal partitions called frets or compartments, which are painted alternately red and black. Thirty-six of these compartments, or pockets, are numbered in a nonconsecutive manner from 1 to 36, and on European wheels there is a 37th green compartment which carries the number 0.

Players can make bets on groups of numbers, colors or odd/even combinations, high or low, first, second or third dozen, and so forth. These bets are known as outside bets and pay based on their odds. Inside bets are placed within the numbered portion of the betting area and are paid out according to their betting odds.

After the player has placed his or her bets, the croupier (dealer) throws a ball into the roulette wheel and it comes to a stop in one of the numbered slots on the table. The player’s winning bets are then paid out according to the odds of those bets, and the table is cleared for new bets. Once a player’s bets have been paid out the croupier announces, “No more bets!” This prevents players from making additional bets when they think they can win and also prevents them from cheating by hiding devices in or under the table or wheel.