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. Say you bet on number 23. If the ball drops into the number 23 pocket, you're paid off at 35-1. This "split" bet pays off at 17-1. You can bet on three numbers at a time, paying 11-1, four numbers (8-1), five numbers (6-1) and six numbers (5-1) Those are all the inside bets. Outside bets are the wagers made on the outside of the layout. You can buy in and play with standard casino chips, but each table has its own set of special "wheel chips." Wheel chips, which come in several different colors, are used so that the dealer can distinguish among all the different players' bets on the layout. When you go to exchange your cash, or casino chips, for wheel chips, inform the dealer of the denomination (within the stated betting limits) that you want your chips to be. Say you want each chip to be worth $1. If you give the dealer a $20 bill, he'll give you back 20 wheel chips worth $1 each. The player next to you might be betting with brown chips worth $5 each, and the player next to him might be using white wheel chips worth $25 apiece. Wheel chips allow for a practice that's unique to Roulette: the co-mingling of different players' bets. 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. There will be a table minimum and a chip minimum. The table minimum applies to all bets on the table. 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. It has a whopping casino edge of 7.89%. Some casinos provide reader boards that track the last 20 to 30 spins. 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.