Roullete, or the game of roulette as it is sometimes known, is a casino game that involves predicting where a small ball will land when spun around a wheel with numbered compartments. Players place bets on which red or black numbered numbers, groups of numbers, or various other combinations will appear as the ball slows and comes to rest. The bets are placed on a betting mat or table that is marked with the specific areas where each bet should be made.

During the course of the game, a dealer spins a rotating disc-shaped wheel while rolling a small ball in the opposite direction around the outside of the wheel. The ball then loses momentum and bounces off the track that runs around the outside of the wheel, coming to a stop in one of the compartments – red, black, or green — on the wheel.

The roulette wheel, called a canoe by croupiers, has thirty-six metal compartments (called frets) that alternately display red and black. There is also a single, green division on the American roulette wheel that carries the number 0.

When a player places chips on a betting mat they are declaring a bet type. Generally, bets on a group of numbers or the dozens have higher payouts than other bet types but have higher house edges.

It is possible to win money in roulette but it takes skill and practice. One of my friends spent a year practicing wheel speed, ball release point, and the precise placement of her bets in order to predict where the ball would land, within a few slots. She did so well that she was offered a job in a casino.

Although the house edge is 2.70% with or without the “La Partage” rule, it can be reduced further by spreading your bets more widely on the wheel. This will cover a larger portion of the wheel and increase your chances of hitting a winning bet.