The Science and Odds Behind the Roulette Wheel

Roulette literally means small wheel in French, so you can see where the inspiration came from for the name at least. The basics are simple – the wheel is spun in one direction and the ball is spun in the other. Eventually, the ball will hit one of the rivets on the wheel, jump, and end up in one of the slots on the wheel. If you guess that slot correctly, you win.

What is the safest bet in roulette?

An outside bet is the most likely one to return a prize. This means picking high or low, odds or evens, or red or black. Since these are an either-or outcome, these are even money bets.

What are the odds of winning a bet based on just one number?

In this example, we’ll see how you can win by guessing the number the roulette ball will land on. The odds of doing this are one in 38, which are hard to guess, as you can… well, guess! To put it another way, you have a 2.63% chance of getting it right.

You can bet on more numbers for one spin of the roulette wheel too. Instead of betting on, say, number 36 alone, you might decide to cover three numbers next to each other in a group. If you did this, you would improve the odds of landing the ball somewhere within that group. Of course, it would also mean your prize would be smaller if you did manage that successfully.

Is roulette 100% random?

Yes. In theory, there is a slim chance that a real wheel might be set up to affect the area of the wheel where the ball might drop more readily. However, online casinos use random number generator software and other methods to make sure the wheel is truly random.

If you play online, you can choose a regular roulette game or find a casino that offers live dealer roulette instead. If you are new to the game, you should find a casino that has a standard roulette game that allows for demo play. This means you can try out various bets to see how they might work.