Introduction To Roulette
Roulette originated in France over 200 years ago. It is a very elegant, yet simple game. There are three forms of the game, using three different wheels, anddifferent rules. The French wheel has a single green 0 pocket, and a unique arrangement of numbers on the wheel. The American wheel has a green 0 pocketand, on the opposite side of the wheel a green 00 pocket. The American wheel hasa different number layout than the French wheel. The Hybrid wheel is used in theUK and has a single green 0 pocket yet an American number layout.

Since the payoff is the same for the three forms, yet the American wheel has anextra pocket, the casino advantage (take) using the American wheel is almost twicethat of the single 0 wheels. The casino using an American wheel has a take 5.26%, while the French and Hybrid wheels have a casino take of 2.7%. Is it anywonder that Roulette is more popular in the UK and Europe. Casinos have slotmachines with a lower take than the American form of Roulette. Compare 5.26%to the typical Blackjack casino advantage of 0.2 to 0.7% and you can see why Roulette accounts for only 5% of casino revenues in America.

History Of Roulette
Roulette is a French word meaning "small wheel". There are several interesting legends about roulette origin.According to the first, Blaise Pascal tried to find the perpetual motion. He engineered a device in a form of a big wheel for his experiments. One of his friends had a good idea to use this device for gambling.Another mystic legend tells about Francois Blanc who founded the first casinos in Monte Carlo. They say he sold a soul to devil for the secret of roulette. If you don't believe, please sum all the wheel numbers; total is 666.

Roulette in the layout we see it today appeared in 1765 in Paris. French emigrants imported this game into USA and the first American casino appeared in New Orleans in 1800. In 1861, a casino was opened in Monaco that became the capital of gambling business after the ban of casino in Europe in 1873.Now, every casino in the world has a roulette wheel. Roulette is popular because it is simple, easy to play, exciting and thrilling.

Roulette Tips

Play European Roulette
The best roulette wheel to play is the European wheel as it reduces the casino advantage to an acceptable 2.63%.The American version with an extra 00 almost doubles the house advantage, so stick with the European wheel.

Best Bets
Another advantage on the European table is the en prison rule on even-money bets.When the 0 comes up, your bet remains, (is captured), for the next spin. If you win on the next spin, you aren't paid for the win, but you are allowed to take your original bet back; so you only lose half your bet. The House edge on even money bets with the en prison rule and single zero is now reduced to 1.35% making it the best bet on the table.

Talking of best bets lets look at the worst bet in roulette - The five number bet of 0, 00, 1, 2, 3 blasts that 5.26% out of the house with an edge of 7.89% to the casino, so avoid this one!Generally, stick to the bets with lower odds, and avoid single number bets. Playing red or black gives you a chance of winning 50% of the time minus the house edge. This is an attractive bet as it keeps you in the game longer, has respectable odds and allows you to maximize your bankroll.

Don't Get Emotional!
Don't get emotional when you play. Keep in mind roulette is a game of pure chance, so make sure you set a bankroll you are happy with IN ADVANCE, and when it's lost you leave the game.Roulette is very emotional and exciting, so it is easy to spend those chips quickly, without thinking about it!Also, don't get angry or frustrated if you lose Roulette is a fun game first, moneymaking is a bonus.

Don't Believe In Sure Fire Systems
You will see roulette systems on the net offered for just a few dollars that guarantee you huge consistent profits. Yeah right! If they were true, keep in mind the vendor would not be selling them! They would keep the system to themselves and make a million or more! Roulette is a game of chance, so forget sure-fire systems.