Roulette is a game of pure chance. There are no systems – at least none that are foolproof – that can overcome the built-in house percentage in this classic casino game. However, that doesn’t stop people from trying. You can find millions of roulette systems on the internet, some simple and some complicated, that claim to be able to beat the game.

In the US, roulette began as a popular game in illegal gambling dens and spread to European casinos and gambling houses after its development in France in the 18th century. In 1843 a single zero pocket was introduced to the wheel, which dramatically reduced the house edge and increased its popularity with gamblers worldwide.

The roulette wheel consists of a solid, slightly convex disk with thirty-six compartments painted alternately black and red, and numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. A green compartment carries the number 0 and two red compartments carry the numbers 00. A metal spindle holds the wheel, and the ball is released into a revolving cage attached to the wheel.

Unlike some other casino games, roulette bets offer very high win-to-stake ratios and can pay up to 35 times your stake for a winning bet on one of the single number bets. There are also 10 other types of bets, and you can place them at any point during the game as long as it is between decisions.