Roullete is a casino game that involves spinning a small ball around and around a wheel until it lands in one of the numbered slots. Players wager on a single number or various groups of numbers, and can bet whether the number will be red or black, odd or even, or high or low. The wheel has numbered pockets from 1 to 36, and in American roulette there is an extra green pocket labelled 00.

Before the wheel is spun, bets are placed by laying chips on the table on the precise location where the player wishes them to land. The chips are usually coloured and have different values, and this is how a player’s total bet amount is determined. The bets are placed on a betting mat, where French terms and a specific layout are used (although English language is now common). The chips are not removed between spins.

The house edge in roulette is the difference between the odds of hitting a winning bet and the payout of that bet. This house edge is present in all versions of the game, and it’s important to understand how it affects your chances of winning. It’s also useful to know what type of bet you’re making, as different types of bets have varying odds.

There are two main categories of bets in roulette: inside and outside bets. Inside bets are wagers on individual numbers, and they have a lower house edge than outside bets. They are also easier to win. Outside bets are broader wagers that cover a category of numbers, and they have a higher house edge but lower payouts.

Once all the bets have been placed, the dealer will spin the wheel and throw a ball in the opposite direction of the rotation of the disk. The ball will then come to rest in one of the pockets, and winning bets are paid out immediately. Losing bets are cleared off the table, and the dealers will often announce ‘no more bets!’ to prevent cheating or additional advantages.

One way to help reduce the house edge in roulette is to play a variation of the game that includes “la partage” or other similar rules. This rule means that an even-odds bet that loses to a zero will only pay out half of its original wager, which can significantly improve your odds. You can find roulette games with these rules at many online casinos.