Roulette is one of the world’s most popular gambling games. The game relies solely on chance and is wildly popular at land and online casinos around the world. While fanciful stories of its invention abound, the game was likely based on earlier games such as hoca and portique. Despite being a game of chance, there are some strategies that can be used to improve your odds of winning.

The Wheel

The roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape with a rim containing metal separators or frets. These separate into thirty-six compartments, alternately colored red and black (on European-style wheels there is a green section that carries the number 0; on American tables there are two additional green compartments that carry the numbers 00). The wheel spins, and a small ball rolls inside the wheel until it stops in one of the divisions. People place bets on which number the ball will land by laying chips on a betting mat. Each bet has a different payout.

Bets can be placed on individual numbers, various groupings of numbers, whether a number is odd or even, and whether it is high or low. A straight bet pays out 1:1, while a split bet or cheval bet pays 17-1 and a street bet pays 5-1. In addition, some bets, such as the tiers, ombre, and douzaine are also even money and pay out 1-1.

While not a traditional horror film, Roullete uses a psychological approach to explore the ways in which individuals can be brought together for a night of gambling and end up changed beyond repair. As a psychiatrist I found this movie to be chillingly instructive in its depiction of the way that impulsive choices made during periods of depression, low self esteem, rejection, and mental illness can leave a person beyond redemption. This is a well-acted and engaging movie with a twist that keeps you guessing until the bloody climax.