Roulette

Roulette is one of the most iconic casino games in the world. The name means 'little wheel' in French, and the game has been part of European casino culture since the 18th century. A wheel with numbered pockets (0–36 in the European version, 0 and 00 in the American) spins, and a ball lands in one of the pockets.

The game's appeal is the combination of simplicity and variety: you can bet on a single number (and win 35:1), or you can bet on red/black and have nearly a 50% chance of winning. Roulette is a pure game of chance — no decisions affect the outcome — but the choice between European and American versions has significant mathematical implications.

Roulette is played at a table with a wheel and a betting layout. Players place bets on the layout, then the dealer spins the wheel and releases the ball. When the ball lands, winning bets are paid out.

Bet types are divided into two categories: Inside bets and Outside bets.

The most important difference between European and American roulette is the number of zero pockets. European roulette has one zero (0), giving a house edge of 2.7%. American roulette has two zero pockets (0 and 00), which doubles the house edge to 5.26%.

Always play European roulette if you have the choice. There is no reason to give the casino twice the advantage.

Roulette is a pure game of chance — no strategy can change the house's mathematical advantage. Many players use systems like Martingale (doubling the bet after a loss), D'Alembert or Fibonacci. These systems do not change expected value but can affect the risk profile.

The only 'strategy' with mathematical grounding is to choose European over American roulette, and to prefer outside bets (red/black, odd/even) for longer sessions with lower variance.