Roulette has offered glamour, mystery, and excitement to casino-goers since the 17th century. While the game seems simple, it has a surprising depth that can reward serious betters. The rules are straightforward: correctly guess which number or type of bet the ball will land on and you win.

To play, players first place their chips on the table according to their desired bets. After the bets are placed, the dealer (known as a croupier in this game) spins a wheel in one direction and rolls a small ball in the opposite direction around a tilted circular track that runs around the outer edge of the wheel. The ball then settles in a pocket that corresponds to a specific number on the wheel. If the player has bet on that number, they win.

The roulette wheel is a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape with a metal track on its surface and compartments (called frets or canoes by roulette croupiers) in which the balls can rest when they are not spinning. Thirty-six of the compartments, painted alternately red and black, are numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. Two of the compartments, on European-style wheels, are green and carry the symbols 0 and 00.

When the wheel stops spinning, the croupier will announce “no more bets,” at which point the game is over. It’s important to understand how the game is played so you can play it with confidence and avoid any cheating or additional advantages that may be gained by betting at the wrong time.

In addition to understanding the house edge, you should also be familiar with the different types of bets and their payouts. Typically, inside bets have higher odds of winning but lower payouts, while outside bets have the reverse.

Another important factor is the occurrence of the La Partage rule, which reduces the house edge by keeping half of any even-money bets and giving the other half back to the players. This is especially effective on bets on single numbers, which have a very high house edge of 2.70% without the rule. However, the La Partage rule only applies to bets on individual numbers and does not affect bets on other categories of numbers or on the zero. Therefore, you should be sure to use the rule only when playing at a legitimate casino that follows proper gambling laws. Otherwise, you could be subject to fines or even jail time for cheating.