What would a casino be without a roulette wheel? These elegant red-and-black spinning games of chance are synonymous with gambling. A huge attraction at casinos across the country, the classic roulette wheel remains one of the most exciting casino games available.
Here's how roulette works: the wheel consists of slots or "pockets" numbered from 1 to 36, which are either red or black. The standard American casino roulette wheel also contains two green slots: 0 and 00 (many European wheels eliminate the 00, which creates more favorable odds for players). Casino players can bet on one, two, three, four or six numbers; or they can choose to bet red or black; high or low; odd or even. Single numbers pay the highest, while either/or bets are lowest. In a casino, the person who spins the wheel is called a "croupier." When all bets are placed, the croupier spins the wheel and a ball bounces from slot to slot until finally coming to rest in one of them. A casino roulette wheel is a lively place to be when it's spinning; players love to shout and encourage the wheel to stop in their favor!
The green slots in roulette are where casinos make their money. If the roulette ball lands in the 0 slot, the game ends and all players receive half their original bets back. However, if the dreaded 00 is spun, the House (the casino) keeps all the bets. You can bet that in just about any casino, the croupier is hoping for a big fat double zero.
Even if you play it safe and bet red/black or even/odd, casino roulette is a lot of fun. Unlike other casino games, roulette rounds go by quickly -- just a spin of the wheel and the game is over. If you're feeling lucky, you can pack in plenty of casino play at a roulette wheel in a short time. Casinos are the only place to experience the thrill of roulette!
