Since the very first clatter of the white ball spilling over reds and blacks, gamblers have tried to formulate a fool-proof strategy to beat the wheel at the roulette table. But what happens when you haven't got a Rain Man-like mathematical mind to figure out all manner of probabilities? You need a system to beat the house.

Choose your casino wisely. This may seem like obvious advice - after all, you wouldn't buy a car just because it had a low mileage on the clock. This is the online casino age. Players have the luxury of picking and choosing any internet casino they desire.

Choose European roulette. Perversely, for a game synonymous with Las Vegas, American roulette can't compete with European roulette, which offers better odds of success. This is due to American roulette wheels featuring both a zero, and the double zero - if the ball lands on either, you get no bang for your buck. For players, they add nothing to the game; it stacks the odds in favour of the house. With European roulette, you can choose wheels which have either one, or two zeroes, and you pay the same to play either. It's a no brainer.

Take No Prisoners. Join reputable casinos which play 'No Prisoner' rules, or 'Surrender' rules, as you stand a chance of at least winning half, or total your stake back should the ball hit that dreaded green-zero.

Cover your bets. For every stake placed on lower numbers, try betting another stake on 'High'. This covers your angles, and seems to be a total win-win - although it can be a risky roulette strategy as at first you may bleed more chips than you win.

Don't look for patterns. We're a pattern-seeking species, and it's a habit hard to break, but it can ruin your online roulette strategy. Roulette works on a principle of the Random Number Generator. Remember, every new spin resets the wheel, and the probabilities.

Stick to what you know. The term 'playing it safe' was practically coined for the D'Alembert Strategy � simply increase your bet with each win, and decrease by the same amount for every loss. Another famous, and straightforward strategy to play is the Martingale Strategy. Here, you place bets on a single colour, and increase bets on the same colour until you hit the jackpot. Taking that a step further, a group of trained mathematicians called 'The Hawks' advise switching from red to black with each successive win.

Make Lady Luck beam. She's a beauty and a beast, and as fickle as Californian cheerleader. But when she's on your side, your online roulette strategy will pay off big-time.

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