How to Win at Roulette

If you want to win at roulette, you need to correctly guess on which number the ball will land. You make this wager by laying chips on the table before the dealer spins the wheel. There are several types of bets, and each has a different payout.

Outside bets cover a larger number of spaces, while inside bets are focused on individual numbers or small groups of numbers. These bets have a lower house edge but higher payouts.

Origin

Despite the fact that roulette was first introduced in the 17th century, it is still not known exactly when it originated. Most historians point to Blaise Pascal as the inventor of the game. While he was trying to create a perpetual motion machine, he ended up designing a wheel that had numbered slots. There are also some who believe that roulette was derived from other games such as portique, hoca, bassette, and roly poly or from an Italian game called Biribi.

Regardless of the true origin, modern roulette is played on a special table with a spinning wheel that has numbered slots and one or two zeros. Players place bets by laying chips on the betting area of the table before the wheel is spun.