Roulette was first played in France back in the 17th century. It is now one of the most popular European gambling games and Monte Carlo in Monaco is a well known and famous casino center for playing roulette.Players, usually up to eight, play against the house represented by the croupier also called the dealer, who spins the roulette wheel and handles the wagers and payouts. In the European roulette and French roulette version, the wheel has 37 slots representing 36 numbers and one zero. In the USA most roulette wheels have two zeros and therefore 38 slots.Each player buys-in a different colored chips so their bets don't get mixed up. At the end of play, if you won, you exchange back the colored chips with cash chips. These are special chips with the value amount imprinted on them. There are several denominations in various colors. You then take these chips to the cash desk where they will give you actual cash money in exchange.

How to Play Roulette:

To play roulette, you place your bet or bets on numbers (any number including the zero) in the table layout or on the outside, and when everybody at the table had a chance to place their bets, the croupier starts the spin and launches the ball. Just a few moments before the ball is about to drop over the slots, the croupier says 'no more bets'. From that moment no one is allowed to place - or change - their bets until the ball drops on a slot. Only after the croupier places the dolly on the winning number on the roulette table and clears all the losing bets you can then start placing your new bets while the croupier pays the winners. The winners are those bets that are on or around the number that comes up. Also the bets on the outside of the layout win if the winning number is represented.

Roulette Rules

The game-play of roulette is rather uncomplicated, but one must be a bit familiar with roulette rules before placing any sophisticated bets.

In Roulette you don't compete with the other players. The roulette game can hold up to eight players, and each player plays against the dealer only.

Players buy in and receive chips of a color, different from the other players.

If you win a spin, you cash your color chip in for a cash chip of a certain value.

The "En Prison" rule If you place an even money bet and the ball lands on zero, you can either take back your bet or leave it for another spin. If you choose the last option you put it "in prison" as the jargon is.

The 'La Partage' rule Like the 'en prison' rule this is also due when you place an outside even money bet and the ball lands on zero. Under the La Partage rule however, you lose half your bet and you are not able to leave the remainder in prison, or out for another spin.