We all know that playing casino games for real money is a fast way to lose your weekly salary. And while the idea of winning big and moving out of that shabby flat into a proper house with balconies, or even just making enough cash to buy yourself a new tablet seems glamorous and exciting, it’s actually not.

But while the saying “fortune favours the brave” is especially true when it comes to playing  online roulette, there are steps that you can take to improve your chances of actually having a bit of fun while you play.

If nothing else, following these 10 commandments will put you in good stead to not go bankrupt within days and increase your chances of a good night’s winnings.

Here goes:

Never Play Drunk

You might think a few Jägerbombs would help ease the roulette table tension, but being drunk is one of the worst things you can do if you want to win. The alcohol will affect your judgement and slow down your reflexes, meaning you’re more likely to make mistakes – like letting the little ball hop into an empty pocket when it should have landed in one of yours.

Only Bet Red Or Black

Each roulette table has two different coloured pockets, which are ‘even money’ bets. These are the two safest bets in roulette because you can’t lose, no matter what number the ball lands on, when it goes around the wheel a second time. The little ball has no preference for either colour, so there’s never any reason not to bet even money when you’re playing online roulette.

Don’t Chase Your Losses

If you lose a few bets in a row, try not to bet more and more on the same number in an attempt to win your money back. The roulette wheel has no memory, so past results have no influence over future spins. Following this one rule of online roulette will stop you from chasing your losses and making risky bets in an attempt to turn things around.

Never Bet On 0, 00 Or 1

The casino always has the advantage in roulette because there are more odd numbers than even numbers on the wheel. Because of this, playing these three numbers means you will lose over time, so keep away from them when playing  online roulette.

Don’t Start A New Number Mid-Spin

You might think the ball is going to land on your colour – so you quickly add a bet to it in an attempt to win some extra money. But what if the ball suddenly lands on another number after you’ve placed that bet?

You’ll lose your original stake and have wasted your extra bet. To avoid making this mistake when playing online roulette, always leave the last number on the wheel until after the ball has dropped into a pocket – then you can add to your bets if you like.

Don’t Play Every Number On The Table

This is one of the most important online roulette rules for players to understand. You might think that by playing all 37 numbers on a roulette table, you’ll increase your chances of winning – but this isn’t the case at all.

If you bet on every number, there’s always one number that is left over, and this will be the pocket where the ball lands when it goes around the wheel for a second time, and you’ll lose your bet. Only place bets on half the roulette table – so 18 numbers in total for an American wheel and 19 numbers in total for a European wheel.

Place Bets Quickly And Don’t Hesitate

When playing online roulette, there’s no need to wait until the last minute to place a bet. Start thinking about which numbers you want to play as soon as the ‘no more bets’ sign flashes up on your screen. This way, if one of them comes up, you’ll quickly put down some money on it and increase your chances of winning before another player has time to decide on their bet.

Don’t Play The Same Number Two Or Three Times In A Row

Playing the same number in a row when betting on roulette is almost as bad as playing all three numbers because you’re basically giving the casino an extra free bet. If you want to increase your chances of winning, try not to play consecutive numbers at all or play them in different rows – so if you bet on numbers 1, 2 and 3 in the first row, don’t place a bet on 4, 5 and 6 in the second row.

Bet Low Numbers In The First Column

The first column of a roulette table is prime real estate because players have more opportunities to win here than anywhere else – so it’s worth putting your money here when playing online roulette. You don’t want to go overboard and bet huge sums of money on one number, though, as it will give the casino an advantage over you and is a sure-fire way to lose your cash quickly.

Don’t Forget To Limit Your Bets

Limiting how much you bet in roulette is especially important when playing online, so you don’t bankrupt yourself and wipe out the family savings in a matter of seconds. Most games will have a minimum and maximum bet amount set by the roulette software developer – so stick to these amounts and save yourself from financial disaster!