There is no such thing as a roulette strategy as it is a game of chance where the house odds are the same no matter what bet is placed. The player only has to place the bet and the croupier does the rest. The only time the house odds deviate from the norm is on the special line bet where the house odds actually increase. The only way a player can increase his chances of winning is to pick a table that has less of an edge. This can be done, as there are three varieties of roulette that can be played. So the best chance of winning is to play in Europe where the house odds are lower. In America roulette is normally played on a double zero wheel and this gives the house a 5.26% edge over the player. In Europe however the single zero wheel game is played where there is no 00 number and this lowers the house odds to a 2.7% edge, this version of the game has recently been introduced to some American casinos. If you play in some European casinos like Monte Carlo there is also the a variation of the game called 'en prison' which can lower the house edge to 1.35%. This version works by when the zero is the winning number the house doesn't claim all of the players wager instead the player is given the option of losing half their wager or waiting for the next turn an if the number comes up next time the player gets the original wager back. This explains why the game of roulette is far more popular in Europe than the United States.

8 Top Tips For Newbies
Source : Max Drayman (www.winneronline.com)

So you've read about gambling online or maybe heard it mentioned in the media and are gonna give a try. Okay, on your marks, get set - wait!

Before you venture forth it's time for a quick reality check because the road to online gambling riches is not without its potholes. Here are a few caveats to illuminate the path ahead.

1. What is a download and why do I care?

One of the first questions you'll be faced with if you decide to gamble online is whether you want to play games that require you to download and install software these are called "download" games or perhaps you'd prefer games that simply run over the web called "no download" games. There are big differences between the two.

For a start the download options will usually take a good 40 minutes to complete (although some software providers give you a lite version to play while the full version downloads in the background) whereas the no download is virtually instant. But with that 40 minutes comes the kind of superior user interface you'd expect, with nice graphics, sound and lots of games to play. With the no download version this is much more limited. Sure you can still play blackjack, slots and poker, but thats about it. It all depends how impatient you really are!

2. So now I've downloaded, what do I do next?

With no-download games it's pretty obvious what you need to do to start the action but with download games it may not be so obvious. You could go back to the casino's website and read their instructions, they all have them, but if you're impatient like me you just want to get to it!

The first step after downloading is to install the software and reboot your machine. I know, it shouldn't be necessary, but the bottom line is that computers especially those running Windows behave best if you reboot after an install. Once you're back up, click on the casino's icon that was placeded on your desktop. If there's no icon, check your Start menu under "Programs" and it will be at the bottom of the list.

Once you fire up the software it will probably connect to the casino's home site, verify your install, and ask you whether you want to play for Real or Fun. That's it, pick your poison!

3. I want my winnings!

So you've won big and you're ready to hit the mall. All you need to do is cash out, right? Wrong! All casinos have policies about how much you can cash out and when. In most cases you can only withdraw as much to your credit card as you deposited in the first place. So what about the rest?

Casinos vary widely on this, but the short answer is that you'll need to be patient. Even if the casino lets you withdraw right away it could take weeks to receive your check. Some casinos won't let you withdraw until you receive a PIN number from them through the mail. Still others require numerous pieces of identification be faxed to them so they can verify that you are who you say you are.

There are a few casinos that seem to want everything including your Social Insurance number and a fax of your fingerprints (no kidding!) It's up to you to decide if you can live with this invasion of privacy but in any case it's best to know what they're gonna want from the get-go: read the casino's info on withdrawals, it should all be spelled out pretty clearly there. If you don't like what you see, try another casino.

4. PIN Number, what's that?

In most cases the casino's cash-out policies are reasonable, albeit a little inconvenient. Many of them issue the user a unique identification number, a PIN, that you need in order to initiate a cash-out.

Often your PIN number comes via regular postal mail which can be annoyingly slow. The theory is that it's for your own good since receiving it confirms that you actually live at the address they have in their database. It also helps the casino avoid fraud. Whatever, it's become part of the way many online casinos do business so you're probably just going to have to get used to it.

5. How much is it going to cost me?

Another bitter pill is that many casinos will charge you a fee for your withdrawal. Some charge a flat rate, a few charge a percentage, and almost all will charge you more if you want your money "right now thank you very much".

It's well worth your time to read your casino's website page of "Banking" or "Withdrawals". The vast majority of casinos are quite reasonable in their withdrawal charges, but you never know until you know. If it's not clear, email or phone them and find out what the deal is.

6. Hidden banking fees

So the check is in the mail and that means you're home free, yes? Maybe, but again, it depends on the details. For example, receiving a check on a Swiss bank in US dollars may not be money straight in your pocket.

We've known people to be hit with stiff transaction fees when they ask their bank to process a check drawn on a foreign bank. Direct deposit and bank wires may be alternatives, but you'd best check into it before hand because not all casinos offer these services at attractive rates.

7. Will the software run on my machine

Good question. The answer in the vast majority of cases is "Yes, beautifully!". Unless your machine is really old, or you're running out of system resources (read: disk space) there's really not much to worry about.

I've installed casino software well over a hundred times on a variety of machines and have only encountered a major problem once or twice. On the off chance that you do encounter a problem you guessed it contact the casino's Customer Support people. That's what they're there for.

8. Bonus rules

Bonuses are a big deal these days literally and figuratively and you've no doubt encountered one that sounds really attractive. By all means, go for it but not before you've read the fine print.

Bonuses come in a bewildering variety and it's hard to keep track of what's a great deal and what's so-so. All casinos will require that you play the bonus before you can withdraw it. Some require you to play 2-times or 3-times the bonus, and on and on it goes. No one can offer advice that will apply to all the bonuses you'll find out there, other than the one we all know: caveat emptor.

Unfortunately we can't leave the bonuses issue without a few cautionary words. First and foremost don't abuse the bonus offers. In particular don't re-register using another name in order to get the bonus again. That's "bonus abuse" and the casinos can get pretty hostile over such attempts at subterfuge.

Finally, there's the issue of fair-play on the casino's part. Some casino managers have a tough time with the fact that a player can deposit $100, get a $50 bonus, hit a winning streak at the Craps table and cash out for $2200.

Whatever the reason, a few casinos have been known to withhold the player's winnings, or freeze player accounts completely. Do a little research if you're serious about using a particular casino's bonus. Read the message boards and check out the reviews. Also, there are other sites like ours that make it their business to keep the player informed so surf a little before you break out the credit card.

Golden Palace has been online since 1997 and has been steeped in controversy almost from their inception. They are licensed the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake, Canada. They use Playtech software, however they started off with Microgaming, switched to Aqua (which isn't around anymore), and then ended up with Playtech about a year ago. Their browser casino is done is flash and is available for Mac users as well. Members of the IGC and ICRA. Customers can reach their support through email, phone (in North America), and Live Chat. However, Live Chat is available only through the casino itself – you won't find it through their website. In May 2000 Golden Palace was with Microgaming and fell into a bit of a quagmire. According to the message board on WINNERonline someone at Golden Palace was using the credit card numbers that people had used to deposit to buy computer equipment. This was just the start of the mess. Then there was the controversy of lock-outs for bonus hustlers. Apparently the ability to lock out bonus abusers was not in their terms and conditions and they did it after the fact by confiscating the whole lot and not even paying back the deposit. As we all know – locking out a bonus hustler is ok as long as you do it after you pay out what you owe. In addition they were caught posting security messages and advertising as if they were a player from the same IP address. (In other words they posted a message from the casino on a message board and a few minutes later posted again, only posing as a player.) They also double billed customers (which is actually easy enough to do when you're working on your billing system and someone in programming makes a mistake and doesn’t properly QA before going live – and yes I am speaking from experience here) Golden Palace wasn't going to go down without a fight. By July 2000 they had switched their software to Aqua and had started to give a no deposit bonus of $50 to get back all of the customers who left when the mess started. Things were going smoothly until 2002, when Aqua started to go in the red. In 2003 Aqua ceased to exist and Golden Palace switched to Playtech. Since then it's been smooth sailing with a great reputation. Speaking of fighting Golden Palace is a bizarre company famous for its guerilla marketing. It all started off in 2001 when they sponsored a boxing match and had the boxers fight with Golden Palace tattooed in henna on their backs. They like the body paint thing a lot. You might remember them for people streaking (yes, both men and women – but the women wear pasties) at sporting events such as the Olympics with Golden Palace henna tattooed on their chest. The website welcomes you with the "Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese Song", done to the tune of "Do they know it’s Christmas". I wonder what Bob Geldoff would think of that (he's the guy who organized Live Aid and someone I think is an absolute genius) It welcomes you with this song because they bought the Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese that was auctioned off on eBay for $28,000. If you think that is a lot they bought the grandpa ghost walking stick from eBay for $65,000. Makes you wonder what odd thing you might have in your house that could interest them…
As if that isn't enough, they are also huge supporters of various charities using their name, money, and eccentric advertising expertise to raise money. They've sent Cabbage Patch versions of President Bush and Ellen DeGeneres to raise money for the Red Cross. They bought celebrity signed staplers from Staples and used them to make money as well. (The sandwich and the walking stick are also used to make money for charity) Basically this is the most charitable company I have come across online. They even sent my boss a doll (they are an affiliate on one of his sites) Basically, their marketing department is insane. Yet it works, as they've more than made up for their previous sins through their charity work.

Baccarat History Baccarat dates back to the Middle Ages. It is believed the game was first played with a Tarot card deck. Originating in Italy, it soon made its way to France where it found a home among the upper class aristocracy. Further evolution of the game shows it split to European baccarat, and a French game that goes by the name 'chemin de fer'. Chemin de fer is very similar to baccarat as it's played in American casinos today. The difference is one of the players banks the game instead of the casino. The title of banker rotates around the table in a manner similar to the dice at a craps table. The interesting bit to observe of course is that the casino is taking no risk here; they simply charge a fee from each banker. The Baccarat game we know today originated in Great Britain and was then passed along to South America and finally to Nevada. The infamous Dunes casino introduced baccarat in the late 50's, and since then it has made its final migration onto the world wide web. Baccarat has a history overseas also, which is evidenced by its popularity among the Asian population who visit Las Vegas each year. The highest of the high rollers often come from overseas to try their hand under the chandeliers of the stylish Vegas baccarat rooms. In casinos based in the Portuguese territory of Macao, near Hong Kong, the popularity of baccarat is unrivaled. Unlike the heavily ordered and systematic American casinos, these Portuguese tables often allow multiple players to bet on a single spot at the same time, while the expert dealers mentally keep track of each players commission on winning bank bets.