Roulette is a casino game that has offered glamour, mystery, and excitement to gamblers since the 17th century. While it seems simple enough—betting on a specific number or type of bet—there is a surprising level of depth to this classic gambling game, one that can yield high rewards for serious players. Read on to learn how to play Roulette and make the most of your time at the table.

A croupier spins a Roulette wheel, and a ball is rolled onto it. The pocket that the ball lands in determines the winning bet. Once the round is over, the winning bets are paid out according to a payout table. The losing bets are cleared off the table, and the process begins again.

There are two main categories of bets in Roulette: inside and outside bets. The first category includes a series of bets placed on specific numbers or small groups of numbers within the Roulette table’s grid layout. These bets usually have lower odds of winning but higher payouts. Examples of inside bets include straight-up, split, street, and corner bets.

The other category of bets in Roulette is outside bets, which are based on the color red or black, whether a number is odd or even, or if it’s high or low. These bets are generally more expensive than inside bets, but they offer the chance to win big.

Before placing your bets, you should establish a budget for your Roulette session. Each Roulette table carries a placard that describes the minimum and maximum betting limits for that game. Choose a table that matches your budget, and be sure to stick to it!

Once you’ve chosen the amount of money you’d like to spend on a Roulette round, speak to the dealer (or croupier) about purchasing a Roulette chip. The dealer will ask you what denomination you’d like to designate each chip for—you may choose from $1 to $100—and then mark your chips with a special color to help differentiate them between bettors. Most players use different colors for each of their bets, so that their winnings can be easily identified.

Some players try to hone their skills by watching other players’ decisions, hoping that they can discern patterns in their wagers. However, this is a fool’s game—probability dictates that the odds of hitting a certain number on the Roulette wheel remain the same regardless of previous results.

Once you’ve made your bets, the croupier will spin the Roulette wheel and the ball will land in one of the pockets on the Roulette table. After the round is over, the croupier will clear the table of losing bets and pay the winners. Once the process has finished, the chips will be reset for a new round of betting.