Roullete is a casino game that offers players a number of betting options. Bettors may place bets on single numbers, various groupings of numbers, or even or odd colors. The game is based on pure chance, but it provides an element of mystery and excitement for those who play it.

A Roulette wheel consists of a solid, slightly convex wooden disk with metal separators (also called frets) around its perimeter. These create compartments (called pockets) in which the roulette ball will come to rest, if it wins. There are 18 red and 18 black pockets, along with one or two green ones (depending on whether the wheel is European or American), giving it its distinctive appearance.

The earliest written record of the game dates back to the 17th century, though fanciful stories abound about its origins. One of the most widely held is that it was invented by Blaise Pascal, a 17th-century French mathematician. Another is that the game was brought to France by Dominican monks. Regardless of its origin, the game quickly became a popular attraction in casinos and gambling houses throughout Europe.

Before playing, you must decide how much of your bankroll to devote to the session and establish a unit size for each bet. It is best to use 1% of your total available bankroll for one unit. This will allow you to make a bet of any size while maintaining control of your budget and avoid going overboard.

You will purchase chips from the dealer, who is also known as the croupier. The croupier will ask you what denomination you would like to assign to each chip. The dealer will then mark each of your chips to indicate their value and hand them to you. Each player will receive a different color of chips to distinguish him or her from other bettors.

After the bets have been placed, the croupier will spin the wheel. When the wheel is spinning, the croupier will throw a small white ball into it. The wheel will then stop and the ball will land in a pocket that marks a specific number. If your bet is on that number, you will win.

Outside bets are the least risky, but they will not pay off as often as inside bets. In fact, the odds of hitting a single number on the outer row are 1-1. A better choice is a bet on the first or last 18 numbers, which have an even payout of 1:1. If the ball lands on a 0, however, all outside bets lose.