Roullete, the French word for “little wheel,” is a simple game that has offered glamour and excitement to casino-goers since the 17th century. This classic table game may appear to be straightforward, but it provides a surprising depth of strategy for serious players and can lead to high payouts. To help you get started, this guide explains the basics of roulette rules and betting options.

Before you begin playing, decide how much money you want to bet each round and stick to that amount. Online roulette is highly addictive and it’s easy to lose track of how much you’re spending. The best way to prevent this is by setting a budget and choosing a roulette table within your budget. Each table will carry a placard describing the minimum and maximum bets allowed. It will also display the payouts for each type of bet.

After you’ve set your budget, choose a table and place your chips. The dealer will then spin the wheel and drop a small ball into a pocket. When the ball lands on a number, the dealer will clear the table and pay winning bets. Then the dealer will reset the table for the next round and will allow players to place new bets.

You’ll find a roulette table in almost every casino. The game is easy to learn, but there are a few things you should know before you play. The first rule is that you must bet in units based on your bankroll. This will help you manage your risk and avoid losing too much in one round. It’s important to note that the color chips have no value and you must exchange them for real-money chips before leaving the table.

The roulette wheel is a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape. Around its rim are metal separators, called frets by roulette croupiers, and the compartments, or pockets, between them are painted alternately red and black. There is also a 0 and, on American wheels, a double-zero, giving the wheel 38 pockets in all.

There are 18 red pockets, 18 black ones and, depending on the version of the game, one or two green pockets. The house edge in roulette is calculated as the percentage of the time that the ball will land in a non-zero pocket.

Outside bets are more conservative plays that pay out higher payouts than inside bets. They are made by placing your chips on a category of numbers, such as odd or even, or the first or last 18. The payout for this type of bet is 1:1. The Dozens Bet (Douzaine in French): You bet that the winning number will be in the first dozen (12 numbers), the second dozen (20 numbers) or the third dozens (16 numbers). This bet pays out 2:1. The Odd or Even Bet (Impair et Pair): You bet that the winning number is either odd or even, including the zero. The payout is 1:1.