The numbers 1 through 36 are divided evenly among red and black "pockets". The pocket is the container that a ball may come to rest in. In addition to the 36 red and black pockets, there are either 1 or 2 green pockets, containing the number zero and double zero (00) on the roulette wheel. A close look also reveals that the numbers are not distributed in a random fashion. An attempt at order has been made, but is it relevant to the statistics? If no roll is dependent on any preceding roll, then how could the relative position of the numbers affect the balls resting position? The fact that you can bet on more than the individual number, and that each pocket has added attributes for wagering on counters this line of thinking. A balance between red and black, high and low, and odd and even is sought by the wheel makers. For every number on the wheel, directly across from it is the next highest even number. Black and red alternate, pairs of even numbers alternate with pairs of odd numbers (with 0 and 00 exceptions) This roulette wheel design is standard within the industry. A roulette dealer (usually referred to as "croupier") spins the wheel counterclockwise and releases what is usually a plastic ball along the track that runs along the top of the wheel's cavity. As the wheel loses velocity the ball is pulled down off of the track and bounces around until it settles into a pocket. There are a million small buffers and bumps to ensure that the ball is tossed around a good bit randomly before it finds a home.

Fanciful stories about the invention of Roulette include its invention by the 17th century French mathematician Blaise Pascal and first played in a casino in Paris, by a French monk to help break the monotony of monastery life, and by the Chinese, from whom it was transmitted to France by Dominican monks. Whatever its antecedents and origins, Roulette emerged only in the late 18th century as a glamorous attraction in the casinos of Europe, where it has long been associated with the gaming rooms at Monte-Carlo.

The Roulette wheel layout used in Europe and in America generally not the same. The Roulette wheels in Europe are numbered 1-36, and have a green zero section. The Roulette wheels in America, however, have a green zero and double zero, giving the American casinos twice the house edge. Things have improved however, in the mid 1800's, Roulette wheels in Europe had the double zero system, while those in America had even a triple zero.

Roulette history is hard to come by because the origin of Roulette is lost, and there was likely some form of a wheel based game going back almost as far as the origin of the wheel itself. There are stories that the game was invented in China and brought to Europe by traders who were trading with the Chinese.
Several early versions of a wheel and spinning ball were invented in the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe. The first games that we would recognize as modern Roulette were introduced in Paris casinos around the end of the 18th century. This game contained all of the features that we have today with the one exception, the single zero was colored red while the double zero was colored black. This led to some confusion for players and the color green was introduced for the zero and double zero to alleviate the confusion.

In the mid 19th century the single zero game was invented in France, this reduced the casino's edge thereby increasing the odds of the player. When gambling was outlawed in Germany the inventor of the single zero machine (Louis Blanc) accepted an invitation to go to Monaco to establish and operate a casino. The casino set the standards for Roulette in Europe, and Roulette remained exclusive to Monte Carlo until 1933. This led to the gambling and resort industry in Monaco as many of Europe's rich were attracted to the luxurious Monte Carlo casino.

The use of the double zero Roulette wheels survived in the United States and is sometimes called the "American Wheel". The introduction of the single zero wheel (with better odds for the player) resulted in the demise of the double zero wheels in Europe and has become known as the "French Wheel" in Roulette history.

In Europe (also Atlantic City in the U.S.) the Casino's offered another refinement to the game that increased the odds yet again for the player, the option of "En Prison" was offered. With the en prison option if the player has bet an even money bet (Even-Odd, Red-Black, 1-18 or 19-36) and zero or double zero is the next outcome the player has two options:

1. The player can "imprison" the bet. This means the bet stays where it is and the next spin determines if the bet is lost or returned to the player.
2. The player may surrender half of the bet.

• Pair of Jacks or Better - Pair of Jacks, Queens, Kings or Aces. Achieveing this will return whatever you have bet.
• Two Pairs - A hand that contains two pairs such as two 3's and two 7's. Achieving this pays double your bet.
• Three Of A Kind - Three cards that are the same numberwise. Achieving this pays 3X your bet.
• Straight - All 5 cards consecutive but not in the same suit. For example, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Achieving this pays 3X your bet.
• Flush - Any 5 cards of the same suit, the numbers do not matter. Achieving this pays 5 to 6X your bet.
• Full House - Two cards of the same value and three cards of the same value such as 7, 7, Queen, Queen, Queen. Achieving this pays 6-9X your bet.
• Four Of A Kind - Four cards of the same numerical value such as four 10's. Achieving this pays 25X your bet.
• Straight Flush - Five cards of the same suit in numerical order such as 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 of hearts. Achieving this pays 50X your bet.
• Royal Flush - Five cards of the same suit, MUST be 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace. Achieving this pays 250X your bet if you bet 1 to 4 coins and 4000X your bet if you bet 5 coins.

• Play Carefully - Take your time and make wise decisions. It's you against the machine and there is no need to rush things.
  
  
• Know the Paytables - This is one of, if not the most important keys to success in video poker. You need to understand the paytables for each machine - understanding these will potentially allow you to maximize your winnings.
  
  
• Play each hand like a new game - Since you are playing a machine try and forget about the last hand played. The machine has no memory of the last hand - the random number generator assures this, so don't fret over what happened last hand - focus on the next.
  
  
• Practice makes perfect - the more you play the better you will be. Learning which cards to keep and which cards to discard is very important if you are to take full advantage of the payout tables. If you use your knowledge consistently i.e. utilize a strategy, it will help assure that you will meet the payout percentages of a particular machine.
  
  
• Never keep a kicker with any pair. Holding a kicker to any pair reduces your return by 5%.
  
  
• Never draw four cards if you can draw three to a royal flush.
  
  
• Always keep five card winning pat hands with one exception: if you can, draw one card to a royal.
  
  
• Don't break a flush even if you can draw one to a straight flush, but always break a flush to draw to a royal.
  
  
• Never break a straight to draw to a straight flush.
  
  
• Never draw five if you have a jack or better.
  
  
• Don't keep a ten for a four card draw.