Roulette, the French word meaning little wheel, has long offered glamour, mystery and excitement to casino-goers. It’s one of the oldest casino games and draws big crowds around the world, especially in Europe where it is a mainstay at Monte Carlo and other resorts.

The game consists of a spinning roulette wheel that has 36 nonconsecutively numbered compartments or pockets. Each of these compartments is painted alternately red and black, and the numbers are arranged in numerical order. The croupier spins the wheel and the ball bounces around it, until it settles into a pocket and is collected by a player.

There are many different bets in roulette, and all of them bring different odds for winning and payouts. They include inside bets, outside bets, and announced bets.

Inside Bets: These are bets where you place your chip(s) on a specific number or group of numbers. These types of bets are the most popular and give you the highest probability of winning.

You can bet on single numbers, several groups of numbers, the color red or black, whether the number is odd or even, or if it’s high (19-36) or low (1-18). The payout for this type of bet is 1-1, although the odds of winning are much higher if you bet on more than one number.

Outside Bets: These are bets where your chip(s) straddle a line between two numbers. These types of bets are more conservative plays, but offer lower payouts than the inside bets.

Announced Bets: These are special betting combinations that can be found in French Roulette but also in online European Roulette variants. They are part of the rules of the game and you need to learn them before playing.

Some roulette bets are known by a number of different names, including street bets and transversal bets. For example, you can bet on three numbers by placing your chip(s) on the end of any “street” (a row of 3 numbers) on the table map. This bet pays 11-1. You can also bet on a single number by placing your chip(s) on the edge of a street.