Roulette is one of the oldest and most popular casino games. It has a long and colorful history, but its rules are simple and easy to understand. The game has a surprising depth for serious players who want to win big, and a strong strategy can reap high rewards.
The wheel consists of a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape with metal separators (called frets or canoes by roulette croupiers) and pockets. Thirty-six of these compartments are painted alternately red and black; the last one, on European wheels, carries the sign 0. On American roulette wheels there are two green compartments that signify 0 and 00. The wheel spins smoothly on a perfectly balanced rotor.
Once the ball stops, the dealer announces “no more bets!” This prevents players from placing chips when the wheel is about to come to a stop, which could give them an unfair advantage. It also ensures that all players are playing the same game and that no one is cheating. The dealer will then immediately divide all even-money bets in half, keeping one half for the house and returning the other to the player. This rule is called “La Partage”.
In order to bet correctly in roulette you must first decide which number or type of bet you are going to place your chips on. You can place single number bets, which are the numbers from 1 to 38; you can also make a color or grouping bets. These types of bets are known as outside bets and have a lower house edge than the individual numbers.
Inside bets are placed on the numbered portion of the table, which is where most of the money is made. They have a higher house edge than the outside bets, but they offer more chance of winning. You can place your bets in one of three ways: by placing a chip on the edge of any of the six pockets that contain the numbers; by putting a chip directly on the number you want to bet on; or by using a betting line.
The most important thing to remember is that Roulette is a game of chance and that no betting system can guarantee you will win every time. However, if you do a bit of research and study the game thoroughly before playing, you can make a more informed decision about where to put your chips.
The spacious TriBeCa loft that was once home to Roulette seems a lot smaller than it did in my memories. But the space was a crucial laboratory for the downtown-music scene, providing artists like John Zorn, Shelley Hirsch, George Lewis and Ikue Mori with the space, resources and recorded documentation they needed to develop their work. And it has continued to do so with newer generations of composers, improvisers and electronic producers who have found their homes here.