Roulette is played with a wheel, a small ivory ball, and a betting layout. The wheel turns on a spindle and is divided into 37 (European wheels) or 38 (American wheels) slots. 36 of the slots are numbered from 1 through 36, of which half are red and the other black. There is also a green slot marked 0 and (on American wheels) a green slot marked 00.
Players place bets against the house on the layout and a croupier(croup-e-a) called the tourneur spins the wheel in one direction and either tosses the ball into the wheel, or spins the ball, in the opposite direction. When the ball comes to a rest in one of the slots the bets are settled.
