The game of roulette has offered glamour, mystery and excitement to casino-goers since the 17th century. While the rules are simple, the game offers a surprising depth of strategy for serious betters and high rewards for the right bets.

Roulette is played on a wheel that has thirty-six red and black slots and a single zero (on European wheels). A croupier sends a small ball spinning around the edge of the wheel, and players place bets on the table corresponding to those slots. The objective of the game is to correctly predict which slot the ball will land in when the wheel stops spinning.

There are a number of theories as to the origin of roulette, including that it was invented in the 17th century by French mathematician Blaise Pascal as part of his quest to create a perpetual motion machine. However, the game as it is played today was only introduced about a century later in France, and it quickly became popular in Europe.

To play, you give the dealer your money and ask for coloured chips, which represent different denominations. The dealer will then give you chips equal to the value you have chosen to assign them. Roulette chips are a special type of chip, not the same as those used in other casino games. They have a distinctive red and black color and are marked with their denomination on one side, and the dealer’s name on the other. They are also numbered so that the dealer can identify each player’s chips.

Each roulette table carries a placard with its minimum and maximum bets. Choose a table that allows you to bet within your budget, and read the table limits carefully. In addition to announcing the minimum and maximum bets, the placard will explain how to place bets. For example, a bet on number 2 costs 35 chips and pays 392 chips if it wins.

Regardless of whether you are playing roulette in a real casino or at an online gambling site, always bet with money that you can afford to lose. It is not a good idea to use winnings on future bets, even if you are having a very good run of luck. Some players like to watch their opponents, hoping that they might pick up a clue about which numbers are likely to win, but this strategy is not effective and can only lead to you losing your money. It is much more profitable to stick with your predetermined budget and not to dip into your winnings.