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Even though the game of roulette has risen in popularity over the decades, there are still many players that have absolutely no idea how to play the game properly. As a result, they play recklessly and lose a lot of money, even when they don't have to. I have compiled several basic but important tidbits of information that will hopefully help beginners to tip the odds a little bit more to their favor.

The house edge: Always keep in mind that wherever you play, there is always the house edge that you have to beat. You cannot avoid it, so all you can do is try to improve your chances of winning as much as possible by being knowledgeable about the game and all its nuances.

Choose the correct system: Now, this is easier said than done. There are many roulette playing systems that are being offered or sold out there, so choosing one from the dozens of available systems may be overwhelming. If you can avoid it, try to play without using a system at all. If you do have to use one, collect as much information as possible about the system before you use it.

European is better: When it comes to roulette, the European way is definitely better than American. Why? The American roulette wheel has a "00", meaning the house edge is way up there; almost double when compared to that of the European wheel (2.63%) which has only one "0".

Use the odds: As much as possible, place your bets where the payouts are parallel to the bets. Red or black, or perhaps odd or even bets are good examples. This way, you play at just a little below even odds with the house, so your money will last longer and you get to play more. If you're the aggressive type, though, this one may be too much for you to handle.

Speaking about bets, do you know what the best bet in roulette is? It's a bet placed on a European table, known as the en prison bet. This can be made on all even-money bets. How does it work? When the ball lands on 0, your bet remains on the table for the next round. If you win on the next spin, you don't get all your winnings, but you do get your original bet back, so only half your bet is actually lost. What's more, the en prison rule on even-money bets only gives the house an edge of 1.35%. This is why the en prison bet is the best bet to make in roulette.

Streaking: This is another fallacy that needs to be avoided entirely. It's amazing how even players with years of experience will believe that a succession of reds will increase the odds of hitting a black on the next spin. Fact: the ball and the wheel have no memory. Even if the reds have hit twelve times in a row, the odds of getting a black on the next spin will always be 50-50.

Set a bankroll: One of the best things to do to avoid piling up huge losses is to set a bankroll for the game. Once you've used it up, quit. Say goodbye, turn around and don't look back. This way, you avoid losing more money than what you were prepared for. Never gamble more than you can afford to lose.

If you are wondering if you can get comped playing at $2 blackjack tables, the answer is a resounding YES! In fact, I set a new record for myself in getting four (4) buffet comps in less than 10 minutes!

Most people think you have to be a high-roller to get comps. That may be true if you want the royal treatment, limo waiting at the airport with fully stocked bar, a fancy suite set aside for you at your favorite casino, show tickets with fantastic seats, meal reservations all set at your favorite restaurant and your own personal casino host waiting for you when you arrive.

The beauty of comps is that you can start at any time at any level, and as you learn more about the comp system, you become a much better player. Yes, I said player! As one friend put it, "It's a game, and the more you learn, the more fun and rewarding the game is." I want to do is teach you the basics. Just as you should learn the basics for blackjack you should also know comp basics.

Step one. Ask!

A friend and I just returned from a week long trip to Las Vegas and every meal we ate was comped. We didn't even use all the meal comps we had. In addition, our room was also comped. For a couple of $10 bettors that's not too bad.

I even got comped at a $2 table. Let me tell you what happened. I was checking out another casino (not the one we were staying at) and sat down at a $2 blackjack table. As is my custom I immediately started a conversation with the floorperson (pit person if you prefer). I inquired about their buffet. "Was it any good?" Think about that question. It's a dumb question when you think about it. Is anybody going to say "No, it's really lousy." Of course they're not. However, it opens the conversation and probably unconsciously the floor person is thinking that this guy has never been to our buffet.

In my case he responded in the positive. "Yes, it's all right." I then asked how long I needed to play to get a comp. He asked how many were in our party and when I said two, he simply wrote the comps out and gave them to me. I thanked him and went on with my play. Total time, probably less than 5 minutes.

As he left a new player came up to the table and sat down on my left, at third base. He immediately called a floorperson over, a different one than I had talked to, and inquired about a buffet comp. The floorperson said "no problem", looked at me and asked if I would like a couple. I said "of course." Total time, less that 10 minutes, and at a $2 blackjack table.

You're probably thinking that this was at some small, off-the-strip casino. Not so. I'm telling you that you can get buffet comps at most casinos, you just have to ask! And, in some cases, you don't have to put in a lot of time at a table to accomplish this.

About six months ago my brother-in-law and I were in Las Vegas for a long weekend. Before we left we were giving away the buffet comps we had accumulated. It was great. Just remember, always ask no matter whether you are playing table games or the slots. Eventually you will find the casinos that are amenable to handing out the comps. Have fun!

"When you know how, it's easy."

Amongst our permanent clients the single most common question we get revolves around the position of "That system you been using is great, but doesn't it seem like the parameters should point to the opposite pick?" So often our systems would be the converse to "conventional logic". In gambling, acknowledging that "conventional logic" is almost always an oxymoron will put one on the right path to winning. Thus going against the grain is more times than not a stupendous line of attack.

As a for instance, many of our systems involve bad offenses going over, good and hot teams being go against and bad and cold teams being ATS goldmines. There are two huge rationales why this is the case.

The first answer is in the "should it not be the opposite?" line of non-thinking. Lines are made very much to adjust to public perception. Handicapping can be loosely defined as the art of finding the undervalued and overvalued teams. The teams at the top of the standings, even if they are a Cinderella team won't fly under the radar too long. The public fears betting bottom feeders. As we discussed in our article "It is Good to Pick Bad" we synthesize the science of handicapping public perception.

Somewhat related though is the importance of what we call analyzing whether a team will reach their "threshold" or not. Nothing affects the pre-adjusted line (meaning before injuries, public perception and other considerations) than the two teams' performances to date.

If someone could look into the proverbial crystal ball and tell you that both teams in an NBA game will shoot 10 percent above their season average, would you bet the over or the under? Chances are that you would happily invest in the over. Of course I know we preach a preponderance of evidence in handicapping, but I am trying to simplify the illustration.

Comparably in another game you had the two worst shooting teams in the NBA playing each other. Such hypothetical would put each of their field goal percentages at approximately 41 percent. Each team would need to hit just more than half their shots to exceed the aforestated threshold by 10 percentage points. However if it involved the two top shooting teams, that would put each team around the 48 percent mark meaning each team would have to shoot 58 percent to reach the exact same threshold. So in that comparison 58 percent shooting by both teams in one game is the equivalent of 51 percent in the other game.

How appropriate it's called handicapping, because a team's performance to date much like a "handicap" in your neighborhood beer bowling league is what the pointspread is based on.

I know a big time square player whom I will call Sal. Sal likes picking college hoop totals and one of his built in chestnuts is regurgitating, "I love the over in this game because both teams love to shoot the three point shot."

"What's the total Sal?" cohort Leo Shafto and I time and time again ask the dunderhead. Sal stammers, "It doesn't matter, both teams will shoot a lot of threes." Sal the Simpleton is oblivious to the high total, unfazed once he sees it and totally unwitting to the fact that to go over both teams will not only likely have to shoot a bunch of three-point shots, but exceed the high zenith and make an inordinate number to win his bet. This is especially the case to win based on the reasons Sal gave.

Systems that "make sense" to the uneducated eye are the ones that raise a red flag to the learned. Knowing "conventional logic" is an even bigger oxymoron in handicapping because oddsmakers are aware of public perception and knowing it's easier to exceed a low threshold than a high threshold is indispensable wisdom.

As always system plays are only part of handicapping. We don't consider a system to be statistically significant unless it has a Z-score of 4.0 or higher (statisticians consider 2.0 to be statistically significant. Or systems must have an ROI of 80 or above. But it is almost as important to be aware why systems work.