Roulette is the casino game of choice for many players due to its allure and mystery, its ease of learning and potential high rewards. Yet for serious bettors it offers surprising depth of strategy which can yield incredible returns.

Beginning the game is simple. A player places bets on a roulette table before a croupier spins the wheel. Once a winning bet lands in one of its pockets, winning odds are paid out accordingly. There are various kinds of bets you can make – both inside and outside bets; inside bets refer to betting on individual numbers or groups of numbers such as red/black; outside bets refer to more generalized propositions such as high/low/odd-even or color/bets etc.

Each player receives their own set of chips in the colors designated by the dealer, who then distributes them according to value. When between decisions, she places a small marker atop her pile to indicate what was hit last time – this helps prevent cheating or unfair advantage taking by players.

Roulette can be easily understood, yet navigating all its various bets may prove challenging. Reading up on the rules before beginning will have an impactful effect on how odds will play out. Players have their choice between straight bets, split bets and dozens. Each has unique odds that depend on both type and quantity placed.

There are a few key rules players should abide by when playing roulette. Before placing their bets, they should consult the paytable to ensure their bets are appropriate; additionally, minimum and maximum bet amounts should also be checked prior to hitting spin – and note that payouts vary from casino to casino.

Roulette is played using a circular table and bowl-shaped wheel with 36 pockets numbered 1 through 36 (or 37 in American roulette) as well as two green spaces marked 0 and 00, each number representing either red or black numbers with even numbers or odd numbers alternating in between odd/even slots on the wheel. Players make wagers to see where their ball will land; winning money if their prediction matches with reality!

There are three major variations of roulette: American, European and French. American version features double zero which increases the probability of losing bets; in comparison with this American variation the European and French variants feature single zero which halves this probability. Furthermore, La Partage and En Prison rules can help reduce house edge by giving back half of lost even and odd bets as well as red and black bets respectively; nevertheless this still leaves higher house edges compared with other casino games such as craps.