There is no doubt that Roulette carries with it a certain amount of excitement, flair if you will. The invention of the game that we're familiar with today is generally attributed to the French philosopher and mathematician, Blaise Pascal, who is credited with originating the probability theory. But forerunners of Roulette, basically carnival wheel games, were in use throughout Europe, as early as the mid-1500s. 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. If it drops into number 23, you lose. Simple as that. If you put a $5 chip in the second column and the ball drops into number 17, you win $10. You can mix, match and make as many bets as you like on a single spin. Read a book, ask a dealer, study the layout, or just watch for a while and you'll quickly know how to make every bet that's offered. The chip system for Roulette is a little different from the other table games. 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. In other words, you can bet 50 cents on four different numbers. You are allowed to place bets even while the wheel is spinning, up until the point when the dealer announces, "No more bets." This is the fun part. 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%. The house edge on a single-zero wheel is only 2.7%. The double-zero game has one bet that you should always avoid: the five-number bet on 0, 00, 1, 2, 3.

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.