This image was created by that "Mother of all super spies," James Bond, who, with a beautiful woman nearby, preferred to play this fast-paced game, when not beating the bad guys at Baccarat. Although a game favored by Europeans, Roulette has managed to gather a strong following in North America, most likely for its simplicity and the chance to win big money. Roulette means "little wheel" in French. 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. Those are all the inside bets. Outside bets are the wagers made on the outside of the layout. If it drops into number 23, you lose. Simple as that. The first 12, second 12 and third 12 all pay 2-1. Unlike other casino games where bets must be kept separate, Roulette players can stack their bets on top of one another's. 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. 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. The zeros are called house numbers, because when the ball lands in one of them, the casino collects all bets except those placed on the zeros. The casino advantage on a double-zero Roulette wheel is 5.26%. On occasion, you'll encounter Roulette wheels that have only one zero.

Roulette Tips

Before searching for the appropriate casino to play online roulette, which is an important factor before playing the game, the roulette player needs to be soundly informed about the rules of the game, and understand each and every bet or action that can potentially be made (See the 'Roulette Rules' page)  Beginning with the different types of bets one will see there is a vast assortment of payout odds and House Edge.

In order of payout odds, the roulette bets are as follows:

• The even money bets (red/black, high/low, and even/odd) payout 1:1
   

• The dozens and column bet pays out 2:1
   

• The five-number bet pays out 5:1
   

• The corner bet pays out 8:1
   

• The street bet pays out 11:1
   

• The split bet pays out 17:1
   

• The straight-up bet pays out 35:1.

For any player who is seeking to place some kind of structure on his or her bankroll, the even money bets, dozens, and column bets are the safest choices.  The even money bets produce the lowest House Edge of all the roulette wagers - in conjunction with the en prison rule the House Edge is lowered even more.  As is the case at any casino game, it is important to place the majority of one's wagers with the bets offering the lowest Casino Advantage.  This isn't to say that a player should cease from some of the more chancy wagers like the street, split or straight-up.  These are very exciting bets to make, and can and do produce some large winners at the wheel.  it is to say that these bets should not be made as often as the even money bets if the player is planning to gamble at online roulette for an indefinite length of time.  Furthermore, if one of these bets does happen to win, this might be a very good time to walk away, depending on your bankroll status. 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.