It's simply a guessing game with a little white ball and a big spinning wheel. The ball spins in one direction as the wheel spins in the other, until the ball lands in one of the 38 pockets on the wheel. If your money is on the right number, set of numbers, or color, you collect. What could be easier than that? There are a dozen different bets to be made on a Roulette wheel. They fall under one of two categories: "inside" bets and "outside" bets. Inside bets are made on the individual numbers, one through 36, and the zeros. Betting on a single number is called a "straight-up" wager. Say you bet on number 23. Not bad, huh? To bet on two numbers, place your chips on the line between the two numbers you wish to bet on, such as between 1 and 2, or 1 and the single zero, or 1 and 4. Simple as that. Unlike other casino games where bets must be kept separate, Roulette players can stack their bets on top of one another's. If you've got one of those feelings that the next number will be 15 and somebody's already on that number, just pile your wheel chips right on top. Before sitting down to play, take particular note of the table-minimum betting rules. It indicates the lowest wager allowed on any outside bet and the lowest total bet inside. The chip minimum tells you the least amount you can bet inside on a number. A $2 table minimum and 50-cent chip minimum, means that you must bet a minimum of $2 on any outside bet, but you can combine four 50-cent bets to satisfy the minimum requirements for your inside bet. On a table that's really jamming, players twist, lunge and sometimes elbow their way past other players to get their bets down before the deadline. When you're ready to cash out, don't forget to redeem your wheel chips (for real chips) right at the table. You CAN'T exchange them anywhere else in the casino, not even at the cashier's cage. Most Roulette wheels in Las Vegas have two green-colored pockets, one displaying a zero, and a second with two zeros. While interesting to observe and look for patterns, they don't provide much information of practical use. For excitement purposes, it's better to divide your stake into smaller units (defined by the chip minimum) and spread chips over several numbers inside. Be sure to read the placard that lists the table minimum and chip minimum, then buy your wheel chips from the dealer. You can place your bets anywhere and everywhere on the layout, even on the top of the chips of other players, up until the time the dealer says, "No more bets." Then stand back, relax, and pray that the ball drops into the pocket with your money in it. Did you hear the one about the young woman playing Roulette who asked her boyfriend which number she should play. The boyfriend said, "Bet your age." So his girlfriend placed a chip on 23. The ball landed on 29 and the woman fainted.

Roulette Tips

Keep in mind that all the bets on the roulette table naturally return a 5.25% Casino Advantage (except the five-number bet), although there are some situations when this advantage can be lowered to 2.6% and 1.3%.  With this in mind, here are the best non-system related tips that will help a player hold out at the roulette table:

Tip - Play the European version of Roulette

Most online casinos will offer both the American and European versions of roulette. The only excuse for not playing the standard European version is ignorance, because the American version produces a higher House Edge.  European roulette does not offer the 00 on the wheel, thereby taking one more bet out of the equation, and lowering the House Edge to approximately 2.6% - the lowest edge at the table.

Tip - Place more even money bets than other wagers

The even money wagers will give the player the lowest House Edge at online roulette.   These are the Red/Black, High/Low and Even/Odd bets, which have a 50/50 chance of winning.