Roulette layouts do not vary in bets permitted, odds offered and percentages against the player so the following text covers all the common bets permitted on just about any layout. Straight Bet (or Single-Number Bet):
The player places the chips squarely on one number on the layout, making certain that the chips do not touch any of the lines enclosing the number. This indicates that the player is betting that number to win. Since there are 36 numbers on the wheel, plus the signs 0 and 00, making a total of 38, the correct odds are 37 to 1. The bank pays off 35 to 1 and consequently has the advantage of 0 and 00. In terms of a percentage this is 2/38 of 100, or 5 5/19%. The signs 0 and 00:
These can be played in the same fashion as any straight or single-number bet. The bank's favorable percentage is the same as on a straight bet (5 5/19%) Split bet or two-number bet:
The player places the chips directly on any line separating any two numbers. If the winning number is one of the two wagered on, the player wins.
Payoff odds: 17 to 1 | Correct odds: 18 to 1 | Percentage favoring the bank: 5 5/19% Street bet or three-number bet:
The player places the chip(s) on the outside line of the layout. This indicates that he is betting the three numbers opposite the chips, going across the layout. If the winning number is one of these three, the player wins.
Payoff odds: 11 to 1 | Correct odds: 11 2/3 to 1 | Percentage favoring the bank: 5 5/19% Square bet, quarter bet, corner bet or four-number bet:
The player places the chip(s) on the intersection of the lines between any four numbers. If any of these four numbers wins, the player collects.
Payoff odds: 8 to 1 | Correct odds: 8 1/2 to 1 | Percentage favoring the bank: 5 5/19% Line bet or five-number bet:
The player places the chip(s) on the intersection of the line separating the 1, 2, 3 from the 0 and 00 spaces at a corner intersection. This indicates that he is betting that one of the numbers 1, 2, 3, or 0 or 00 will win.
Payoff odds: 6 to 1 | Correct odds: 6 3/5 to 1 | Percentage favoring the bank: 7 7/19%
Note that the house percentage differs from the 5 5/19%, which is the bank's edge on all other roulette bets. From the player's viewpoint, it is a bet to avoid because it has 2 12/19% more against the player. Line bet or six-number bet:
The player places the chip(s) on the intersection of the sideline and a line between two 'streets'. If any of these six numbers wins, the player collects.
Payoff odds: 5 to 1 | Correct odds: 5 1/3 to 1 | Percentage favoring the bank: 5 5/19% Column bet or 12-number bet:
The player places the chip(s) on one of the three blank spaces at the bottom of the layout. This indicates that the player is betting the 12 vertical numbers above the space wagered on.
Payoff odds: 2 to 1 | Correct odds: 2 1/6 to 1 | Percentage favoring the bank: 5 5/19% Dozens or 12-number bet:
The player places the chip(s) on one of the spaces of the layout marked "1st 12", "2nd 12" or "3rd 12". The 1st 12 indicates that the player is betting on the numbers 1 to 12 inclusive; the 2nd 12, the numbers 13 to 24 inclusive, and the 3rd 12, the numbers 25 to 36 inclusive.
Payoff odds: 2 to 1 | Correct odds: 2 1/6 to 1 | Percentage favoring the bank: 5 5/19% Low-number bet (1 to 18):
The player places the chip(s) on the layout space marked 1 to 18, which indicates that he's betting on the numbers 1 to 18 inclusive.
Payoff odds: Even money | Correct odds: 1 1/9 to 1 | Percentage favoring the bank: 5 5/19% High-number bet (19 to 36):
The player places the chip(s) on the layout space marked 19 to 36, which indicates that he's betting on the numbers 19 to 36 inclusive.
Payoff odds: Even money | Correct odds: 1 1/9 to 1 | Percentage favoring the bank: 5 5/19% Black color bet:
The player places the chip(s) on a space of the layout marked "Black". The player is betting that the winning color will be black.
Payoff odds: Even money | Correct odds: 1 1/9 to 1 | Percentage favoring the bank: 5 5/19% Red color bet:
The player places the chip(s) on a space of the layout marked "Red". The player is betting that the winning color will be red.
Payoff odds: Even money | Correct odds: 1 1/9 to 1 | Percentage favoring the bank: 5 5/19% Odd-number bet:
The player places the chip(s) on the space of the layout marked "Odd". The player is betting that the winning number will be an odd number.
Payoff odds: Even money | Correct odds: 1 1/9 to 1 | Percentage favoring the bank: 5 5/19% Even-number bet:
This is the same as the odd-number bet, except that the player is betting that the winning number will be even.

This is a short list of simple to remember, and easy to follow roulette tips. The fact is, there are no roulette tips that will make you a bundle, but there are some that may keep you from losing one. Tip 1 - Never follow anybody's system. Even reputable names in the online gambling industry recommend you spread your bets around with a 'system' that makes no sense. Umm, ok let me just place the black and third column, so that if I win on one I will most likely lose the other. I'm sure they've convinced a million people to play though, because look at how few numbers could cause you to lose completely! That was sarcasm, subtle, but sarcasm. Spurious logic spouters, never listen to them. Tip 2 - Look hard for a single zero roulette wheel. This will cut the house edge much more than any other option in the game of roulette. Tip 3 - No matter how appealing a new and sexy bet might feel, never bet the five number bet, it has the worst odds on the table. Tip 4 - Search for casinos that offer the surrender rule. This will cut the house edge almost as much as a single zero roulette wheel will, but only on even-money outside bets. Tip 5 - No really, no systems. Tip 6 - Don't spend your time looking for a biased roulette wheel. Although this may have been a valid methodology a couple of decades ago, any casino worth it's chandeliers checks it's own roulette wheels for biases.

According to scrolls dating back to Ancient China, Cheung Leung of the Han Dynasty created a game very similar to Keno around 200AD to fund the war that had been going on for several years. the funds for the war were getting low and the people of his city were beginning to refuse to contribute any more of their hard earned wages to it. He decided a game of chance would be the best avenue to creating revenue for his army.

You may have noticed that keno is a lot like a lotto game. That's because keno is a lotto. The name has been changed a few times in the game's 3000+ year history, mostly to circumvent the law or taxes or both. By all accounts, the Chinese invented the game to fund their army and The Great Wall.

They devised the game using the first 120 symbols of the well known poem, "The Thousand Character Classic", which had been used prior as a romantic numbering system, as no two characters were alike. The game became so successful that it was adopted throughout China, even being used to help fund the Great Wall of China. Keno started out using those 120 Chinese characters. Before the game left China, that number was reduced to 90. The game came to America with the wave of Chinese immigrants in the 19th century. These were mostly the Chinese railroad workers of folklore. About this time the game was reduced to 80 Chinese characters.

Although illegal, keno thrived among Chinese immigrants, especially around big cities like San Francisco. It became known as the Chinese lottery. English speaking Americans became interested in the game, but had difficulty differentiating the Chinese characters used in the game. Around the beginning of the 20th century, keno operators replaced the Chinese characters with Arabic numbers to entice more players.

Although Nevada legalized most forms of gambling in 1931, the legislature did not legalize lottery. The name of the game didn't evolve from "Chinese Lottery" until the early 20th century, when gambling was legalized in the state of Nevada. The legalization of gambling did not cover lotteries, so the name of the game was changed to "Horse Race Keno", playing on the idea that the numbers were horses and you wanted your horse to come in first. Shortly after, Nevada placed a tax on all Off Track betting, so to avoid the tax, the name was shortened to Keno, as it is known as today.

In 1963 the aggregate keno payout limit in Nevada was $25,000. In 1979 it was changed to $50,000. In 1989 the Nevada Gaming Commission eliminated the cap, and casinos are now free to set their aggregate limits as they wish.

The next time you're in your favorite keno lounge crumpling your loosing ticket, let your mind wonder back 3000 years to the Han Dynasty. You're not the first to be lured by this game, and you certainly will not be the last!