Roulette is the classic casino game of chance where a small ball rolls around a spinning wheel and players bet on which number or type of bet it will land on. The game has provided glamour, mystery and excitement for casino-goers for centuries, with its roots in the 17th century. Its simple rules and high payouts make it one of the most popular gambling games in the world.

Traditionally, roulette has been played on a large table where bets are placed by laying chips on a betting mat, the precise location of each chip indicating the bet being made. Those placing bets on six numbers or less are called Inside bets, while those on 12 numbers or more are known as Outside bets. The bets are then collected and paid out after each spin. The betting mat is usually marked to show what each bet pays, which is very helpful for newcomers.

The roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape with a metal section that divides it into thirty-six compartments painted alternately red and black and numbered non-consecutively from 1 to 36. The compartments are separated by a double rim, with a green division marked 0 on European-style wheels and two green ones on American wheels.

There are many different strategies to play roulette, but the basic idea is to correctly guess where the ball will come to rest. Each time the dealer spins the wheel, the bets are shifted to cover any winning or losing positions until the ball comes to rest in one of them. Players wager against the house, with bets ranging from single-number to multiple-number combinations that pay off at various odds depending on how many numbers are covered.

Some of the most common bets are on red and black, odd and even, and low and high. These bets are easy to understand, and the payouts can be very large, but they carry a higher risk of losing money than other types of bets. To reduce the risk of loss, players should always bet within their bankroll and never use money that they have already won.

When playing roulette, it is important to choose a table that offers a minimum bet that is within your budget. Also, it is a good idea to start with group bets (bets on groups of numbers rather than individual digits) which are cheaper to place and have a greater probability of hitting. Finally, be sure to cash out your winnings as soon as possible so that you can continue to play with your predetermined budget.