Table games are some of the oldest games to be played at casinos since their introduction at a land-based casino and have remained popular among gamblers’. One of the most popular table games is Roulette, and quite so for some obvious reasons. Roulette is very simple to understand and learn, and you can hit some impressive wins if you apply an online Roulette strategy. A Roulette usually consists of a table and a wheel, and you may place a bet on a number, range of numbers or colour of the number.
Roulette also comes with that extra mystery and excitement that makes gamblers feel like they are living on the edge. In 2004, a certain Ashley Revell sold all his possession worth $135,300 and placed it all on red at a casino in Las Vegas and went home with twice what he bet.
We won’t advise you to be like Revell, though. However, we can teach you a Roulette strategy to maximize your winnings and properly manage risks when playing Roulette at an online or land-based casino. There are three varieties of Roulette:
European Roulette
European Roulette is the first type of Roulette to be employed at casinos. It consists of a wheel located at one end. The layout of European Roulette has a single zero (0).
American Roulette
American Roulette is the same thing, except that the layout has both single zero (0) and double zero (00). This raises the house edge of the casino from 2.6% to 5.2%. It is the most commonly found Roulette at online casinos.
French Roulette
Roulette is of French origin and coined its name from the French translation of the word “little wheel”, and the French have developed a special version of the game. It is very similar to European Roulette except for the introduction of the La Partage and En Prison rules which significantly reduces the house edge from 2.6% to 1.3%.
The La Partage rules mean that players lose only half of their wager on outside bets; however, players can only leave the table after another spin. For the En Prison rule, players leave half of their wager on outside bets on the table for the nest spin.
How to Play Roulette
Roulette is made up of a wheel and a table where wagers are placed. In learning how to play Roulette, you must understand that the wheel is where the Roulette ball is dropped randomly to determine the winning bet. The table consists of numbers 1 through 36 and 0 (and 00 for American Roulette). The bet types on Roulette are broadly divided into two:
- Outside betting
- Inside betting
Outside Betting
Outside betting typically involves betting on a large group/cluster of numbers instead of betting on specific numbers. They offer a higher likelihood of winning, which is because of their lower-paying odds. Examples of outside betting and their payout rates are:
- Colour betting: This involves betting on whether the outcome will be red or black. It offers a payout of 1/1 Fractional odds (2.00 Decimal; +100 American).
- Even or Odd betting: It offers the same payout as colour betting, but it depends on if the outcome is an even or odd number.
- High or Low betting: This involves betting on either the first eighteen numbers (1 to 18) or the last eighteen numbers (19 to 36). It also offers the same payout as colour betting.
- Column betting: Column betting is betting on any of the three columns on the table. It offers a payout of 2/1 (3.00; +200).
- Dozen betting: As in column betting, you also bet on three numbers. The difference is that you are betting on them in consecutive order (numbers 1-12, 13-24 and 25-36.) It offers the same payout value as column betting.
Inside Betting
Unlike outside betting, inside betting offers larger payouts for wagers placed. It involves placing bets on a single number or a small cluster of numbers. It’s the way to go if you plan to hit it big. Examples of inside betting are:
- Betting on individual numbers: Placing a wager on a single number offers the largest payout of 35/1 (36.00; +3500).
- Split betting: This involves placing your wager on two numbers. It has a payout of 17/1 (18.00; +1700).
- Street betting: In street betting, you place a wager on three different numbers. You may place the wager on a whole row by placing your chip at the end of the row, called the street. It offers payouts of 11/1 (12.00; +1100).
- Corner betting: Corner betting involves betting on four different numbers. The payout is 8/1 (9.00; +800).
- 6-line betting: Just like the name indicates, it is betting on six different numbers on the Roulette table. You may place a 6-line bet on two streets with a chip by placing the chip at the edge where the two streets meet. 6-line betting offers a payout of 5/1 (6.00; +500).
- American Roulette also offers a 5-number bet on 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. It has a payout of 6/1 (7.00; +600).
- American Roulette also offers a row 00 bet on numbers 0 and 00. It offers the same payout as split betting.
How to place a bet on a Roulette table
Placing bets on a Roulette table in land-based and online casinos both follow similar steps.
- If you are gambling at a land-based casino, you will need to first exchange your regular chips for Roulette specific coloured chips. This is unnecessary if you are gambling at an online casino.
- Join the next round and place your bet by placing your chip(s) on the corresponding slot number(s). You can’t place bets once the dealer announces, “No more bets!”
- Once you finish the gambling session, you may leave the table and exchange your chips back to regular casino chips.
How to Play Roulette in Casinos
Becoming good at Roulette is more than just mastering a strategy and using it consistently. You need to learn how to play Roulette in a casino and win. You may follow a few etiquettes to improve your game and take it to the next level.
One of the most basic skills is observation. It could be a few games or many games if you are that patient. Some patterns are repetitive; it could be how the dealer releases the ball or a fault in the wheel.
Risk management is also essential. At the end of the day, Roulette is a game of luck, so it is necessary not to bet above your originally intended amount. Knowing these is sure to improve your knowledge of how to play Roulette.
Roulette rules
There are no complex Roulette rules – a testament to its simplicity. There’s usually a minimum and maximum bet limit for outside and inside bets set by the casino for a Roulette game. It is usually placed on the table or somewhere close enough for everyone to read. It usually reads like this: “Roulette. $2 minimum inside bets, $5 minimum outside bets. $150 maximum outside bet, $1500 maximum outside bets.”
Players may keep placing wagers as the ball spins in the wheel until the dealer announces “no more bets” or “rien ne va plus”.
11 Best Roulette Strategies
Over the years, a few Roulette betting strategies have been developed by players to increase their chances of winning. But before employing these betting strategies, we must understand that, in the end, Roulette is still a game of luck, and there is a higher probability of losing than winning. The betting strategies developed by players can be broadly divided into two categories:
Negative Progression
Negative progression generally involves reducing your unit after a win and increasing after a loss in a bid to cover the loss. Examples of the most popular betting strategies using this method include Martingale, D’alembert system, etc.
Positive Progression
This is the opposite of the negative progression betting system. This system’s goal is to take advantage of changes in luck and milk as much as possible from your winning streak. It also helps minimize loss.
Martingale System
This is arguably the most Roulette strategy that can be found in use, especially among those new to gambling on Roulette. The martingale system is best used when betting on outside bets, especially those with payouts of 1/1 (2.00; +100). It involves doubling your wager every time you lose in a bid to recoup previous losses and your original wager.
The major drawback to the martingale system is the fact there is still the possibility of going on a losing streak which may make the gambler invariably run out of his gambling budget or hit the table limit. It is best used by those with deep pockets and high rollers.
Fibonacci System
Some may be familiar with the Fibonacci sequence, in which the next number is the total of the last two preceding numbers. 1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34-55-89-144 and so on. The Fibonacci system uses a negative progression. For every loss, you move up the sequence by one, and you double back by two if you win.
Labouchere System
The Labouchere Roulette bet strategy also follows a negative progression system, although it appears more complicated than the rest of the popular strategies in the betting system. The first thing to do is choose how much you want to win and divide it into a range of numbers.
Let’s assume you want to win $16. You may divide it into 2-2-2-2-2-4-2. Your first bet is a sum of the furthest numbers by the left and right (2-2-2-2-2-4-2), which is $4 in this case. If the bet is won, you move into the next inward numbers (2-4-2-4), which will be $6. If the bet is lost, you add the total unit wagered to the end of the sequence and then add it to the first number in the sequence (2-2-2-2-4-6), which means your next bet will be $8 after a loss. You repeat this until you get to the end of the sequence.
D’Alembert System
The d’Alembert system is one of the most beginner-friendly betting strategies. It is easy to understand and doesn’t eat fast into gamblers’ pockets. Unlike the martingale system, where you will have to double your wagers, in the d’Alembert system, you increase your unit by 1 after a loss and reduce it by 1 after a win. Let’s say your starting bet is $5. After a loss, you increase it by one and place $6 on the next bet. If that one wins, you place $5 on the next bet. If it wins again, you place $4 on the next bet.
Reverse Martingale
Just like the name indicates, the reverse martingale works opposite the martingale. Instead of doubling your wager after a loss, you double it after a win and double it down after a loss. It is focused on minimizing losses and making the most of a winning streak.
Paroli System
The Paroli online Roulette strategy is just like the reverse martingale system. It sees players double up on their wagers and double it down after a loss. The only significant difference is that players return their original wager after doubling up three consecutive times. Let’s say your starting bet is $2. If you win the first bet, you wager $4 on the second bet. If you also win that, you bet $8 on the next bet. However, irrespective of a win or loss, your next bet will be $2.
Oscar’s grind
Also called the Hoyle’s Press. This betting strategy is based on the belief that there are extended periods of losses and winnings for any gambling. Oscar’s grind involves gradually increasing and reducing your unit size until a betting session ends in one unit profit. The session is not closed until a unit profit is made. This strategy involves patience and a deep pocket in case of extended losing streaks. Oscar’s grind strategy only applies to bets that pay 1/1 (2.00; +100).
| Bet Unit | Result | Profit | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Win | 1 | Session ends |
| Bet Unit | Result | Profit | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loss | -1 | Bet size doesn’t change |
| 1 | Loss | -2 | Bet size doesn’t change |
| 1 | Win | -1 | Bet size increases by 1 |
| 2 | Win | +1 | Session ends |
| 1 | Loss | -1 | Bet size doesn’t change |
| 1 | Loss | -2 | Bet size doesn’t change |
| 1 | Loss | -3 | Bet size doesn’t change |
| 1 | Win | -2 | Bet size increases by 1 |
| 2 | Win | 0 | Only one unit is needed to achieve profit |
| 1 | Win | +1 | Session ends |
James Bond Strategy
James Bond is a high-roller strategy used in European Roulette. You cover over half of the table by dividing your total wager on the even-money high bet (19-36), a double street bet (13-18) and an insurance bet on number 0. You only lose if the ball lands between 1-12. The total betting amount is usually $200 and is divided into three proportions $140 on the even-money high bet, $50 on the double street bet and $10 on number 0.
Andrucci Strategy
The Andrucci strategy is for risk-takers with deep pockets. Using the Andrucci is quite simple. You first make 30 to 37 random bets on random events like odd or even, colour betting, and high or low betting. Take note of the numbers the ball lands on during the period. You then choose one of the most common numbers and place a straight bet on the number 30 to 37 times.
The Andrucci strategy offers gamblers a better chance to hit the maximum payout of 35/1. However, it is still a game of luck, and there’s every possibility the number doesn’t appear over the next 30-37 times.
3Q Strategy
The 3Q strategy involves placing bets on three vertices and three squares such that the total number bet on adds up to 12. Meaning that some of the chips will be placed on vertices that connect four numbers.
Parlay Strategy
The Parlay strategy is primarily used to minimize losses. It involves betting only your profit on subsequent games and can only be applied if you win on your first bet. It is best applied to outside betting. Read our guide above if you are wondering how to bet on Roulette.
What is the Best Roulette Strategy
All Roulette strategies have their peculiarities and have an ideal situation to be used. Some strategies are best used by high rollers; someone with just a few bucks in hand will complain about the strategy being bad, while someone with deep pockets will get the best of it. The question, “What is the best Roulette strategy?” has no straightforward answer. But then, some strategies, like the Andrucci strategy, are very risky and should be avoided, especially for new players. The gambler’s fallacy states that an event that has occurred more frequently in the past is less likely to occur in the future, which directly goes against the point of the Andrucci strategy.
There is no outright best Roulette strategy, and what Roulette strategy to go for depends entirely on what you may be looking for and your budget. Those looking to play it safe may employ Oscar’s Grind, Paroli or the Parlay. If you want to hit high payouts, you may use the Reverse Martingale or James Bond strategy.
How to Win Big on Roulette
No sure answer will show you how to win big on Roulette. In the end, there is a higher probability of losing to winning because of the vigorish from the house. However, if you properly manage your bet by sticking strictly to your budget and following your strategy, you can hit a winning streak and make some huge bucks.
Posted by: Catalina Kirby
Chief Editor
With 4 years of experience in writing about online gambling, Catalina has decided to gather all her knowledge and share it with others on one platform. Her main goal is to provide detailed information so that players could gamble in a more safe way.