Roulette is a very popular casino game both in traditional casinos and also online. It features a wheel with the numbers 1 to 36 and either one zero (0 in European Roulette) or two zeros (0 and 00 in American Roulette). The numbers 1 to 36 are coloured red or black, with an equal number of each, and the zeros are always green. It is the 0 and 00 – both coloured green - that give the house its edge over the player, so European Roulette with a single zero is always the more favourable version of the game.

The aim of roulette is for you to predict where a small ball will finish when the spinning wheel comes to rest. There are many different bets that can be placed, but the most popular ones are as follows:

• Red or Black – With 18 red numbers and 18 black numbers, you have an 18 in 37 or 18 in 38 chance of correctly predicting whether the ball will stop on a red or black number. This bet is paid out at odds of even money.
• Odd or Even – This bet gives you the same odds as Red or Black (1/1) and because the 0 and 00 do not count as either odd or even, your chance of making a correct prediction are similarly 18 in 37 or 18 in 38, depending on whether you are playing European or American game.
• Dozens – You can bet that one of a group of 12 numbers will appear on the next spin of the wheel, and this type of bet pays out at odds of 2/1.

If you would rather bet on fewer numbers with a bigger potential payout, you can bet on smaller groups of adjoining numbers or on a single number outright. Your main options are:

• Six numbers pays odds of 5 /1
• Four numbers pays odds of 8/1
• Three numbers pays odds of 11/1
• Two numbers pays odds of 17/1
• A single number pays odds of 35/1

Clearly, any game that involves betting on where a ball will land when a spinning wheel comes to rest is essentially a game of chance, so no element of skill exists at any point. Although there are a number of betting systems available on the internet that claim to help you win, these systems invariably involve increasing stakes after every losing bet in the hope that you hit a winner before you run out of money.

The only sensible way to play roulette if you want to stand the best possible chance of walking away with a profit is to play European Roulette, where the house edge is just 2.70% as opposed to the 5.26% in American Roulette, and to focus on bets that pay odds of even money (such as Red or Black). Use an increasing staking plan if you must, but be sure to set a maximum amount you are prepared to lose, otherwise you could go broke well before the casino starts getting worried.