Best Roulette Strategies
One enduring question that has occupied roulette players since the start concerns the best roulette strategy – is there a way to guarantee a win? Before we go any further, we must be honest. There are absolutely no guarantees in roulette, since it is based entirely on chance. However, that is not the whole story. Using roulette strategies can help you to play smart and maximize your bankroll potential. Going in without a roulette betting strategy, on the other hand, could see you exiting the game too soon.
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Find Top Roulette Strategies Here
Roulette strategies definitely have a place and are worth trying out. On this page we will take a closer look at some of the most famous ones, to help you decide the best roulette system for you. Keep reading to find out:
- A quick guide to how roulette is played
- Roulette tips and hints
- Pros and cons of famous roulette strategies
- Roulette betting strategy FAQs.
Follow our advice and you will be a roulette pro in no time! Let’s get started.
How to Play Roulette
We could write volumes on the finer details of online roulette in general and live roulette in particular, but this page is mostly concerned with roulette strategies. This is just a quick overview of the main points of the game. The different parts of the game are as follows:
- Wheel: Contains 36 non-sequentially numbered pockets, alternating red and black, plus a green zero pocket.
- Ball: Counter-spun against the spinning wheel, the pocket it lands in is the winning number/colour.
- Layout: The table where players place bets using chips. The layout represents all the possible outcomes of each spin of the wheel.
Inside and Outside Bets
Bet types in roulette can be broken down into two categories, Inside and Outside, referring to where on the layout these bets reside. Very briefly, inside bets have a smaller chance of winning, with a much larger payout. The highest payout inside bet is for a single number, sometimes known as straight-up, which pays out 35 to 1.
Outside bets have a much higher chance of winning, and a coinciding small payout. Typical outside bets are binary – odd/even, red/black, high/low. Others, like column bets, are between three outcomes. Payouts are 1 to 1 or 2 to 1.
Roulette House Edge
The house advantage is derived from the zero pocket. All bets lose on zero, but payouts are based on mathematical odds that do not account for the zero pocket. So, an odd/even outside bet pays out at 1 to 1, as though the odd were 50/50. In fact, the true chance of winning this bet is 48.65%. This is still quite high, but that extra pocket gives the house an edge of 2.7%.
Roulette Tips and Hints
Before we even start to look at the different types of roulette betting strategy, there are some basic roulette tips that everyone should follow. Start with these and you will have a good basis for the game.
- Always choose European
The two primary variants of roulette are European roulette and American roulette. Remember that green zero pocket that gives the house its big advantage? American roulette has a second one, the double zero, and the house edge leaps to 5.26%. Some tables even have a third. The bottom line: choose European every time. - En prison and la partage
Roulette is a French game, hence the vocabulary, and French Roulette is a sub-variant of European. In a French game you may find one of two rules that help reduce the house edge even more. Both apply to even-money outside bets and concern what happens when the ball lands on zero. In en prison, the player’s bet gets another chance to win on the next spin. In la partage, only half the stake is lost. Both of these can reduce house edge to 1.35%. - Practice online
It is all very well knowing the mathematical odds in theory, but nothing beats playing for real. Luckily there are now many places where you can practice roulette strategies online absolutely free. Keep reading our strategy guide, then conduct your own research by following the various different methods at a free site. You will soon find out for sure what is the best roulette system for you.
Roulette Betting Strategy Guide
Over the years, many people have come up with roulette strategies to supposedly beat the odds and come out triumphant. However, like we have said before, we cannot show you how to win at roulette. The game is based on the mathematical laws of probability, and there is nothing you can do to change them.
That’s not to say that roulette strategies are useless – far from it. The judicious use of a system can give you all kinds of playing advantages. Most importantly, it can help you to keep your bankroll going for longer. So let’s take a look at some of the best-known roulette strategies and see if they are really worth pursuing.
Martingale Strategy Roulette
Pros:
- Simple to remember
- Potential to recoup losses quickly
Cons:
- One bad run spells disaster
- Easy to exceed table limit
- Based on flawed logic
We start with Martingale simply because it is the most famous system, certainly not because it is the best. The premise is simple: stick exclusively to the same even-money bet and double your stake after each loss. After a win, go back down to your original stake.
Unfortunately, Martingale is based on the idea that a win must come sooner or later. As anyone who gambles knows, that is not always the case – in fact, it’s the basis of the gambler’s fallacy. As you are doubling every time, your bets grow exponentially. It only takes a short run of losses to either max out your bankroll or hit the table limit. If you want to try Martingale strategy roulette, find a table with a low minimum bet and start with the smallest stake possible.
Pros
- Easy to memorize
- Easy to bounce back from a loss
Cons
- Flawed logic
- One bad run jeopardizes whole strategy
Paroli AKA Reverse Martingale Strategy
Pros:
- Simple to remember
- Lower risk than Martingale
- Losing streak much less damaging
Cons:
- Easy to get carried away
A much less aggressive and risky strategy is like Martingale in reverse. Instead of doubling your money on a loss, do it after a win. On a losing streak, stick to the same basic stake. The real trick here is to stop and go back to the basic stake after three wins – tempting though it may be to keep doubling. Again, this is only for even-money bets.
Pros
- Easy to memorize
- Low risk
- Less damage from losses
Cons
- Easy to get carried away
D’Alembert Strategy
Pros:
- Smaller risk
- No massive losses
- Preserve bankroll longer
Cons:
- Wins don’t cover all previous losses
- No big win potential
D’Alembert is a good choice if you wish to keep your bankroll fairly steady and play for longer. Add a single coin to your stake after each loss, and take one away after each win. Much slower and less dramatic than Martingale or Paroli, but a good choice for novices or the more risk-averse. For an even slower progression, try reversing it: add a coin or unit after each win, and remove one after each loss. The system should be reset each time a real profit is achieved.
Pros
- Easy to memorize
- Low risk
- Less damage from losses
Cons
- Easy to get carried away
Labouchere System
Pros:
- Accurately manage your stake
Cons:
- Much more complex system
- Requires a large bankroll
The Labouchere system is definitely more one for the pros, because it is rather complicated compared to the progressive systems that we have seen so far. The player starts off with a goal of how much they want to win, and divide that number into a series of bets. A pen and paper is needed for this system!
So, say the target is to win $20. Divide the goal into (for example) six separate bets like so:
5 – 4 – 1 – 2 – 4 – 4
The first bet is the sum of the first and last number in the sequence: 5 + 4 = 9
If the bet wins, cross out the two numbers used so the sequence reads:
4 – 1 – 2 – 4
The next bet will be 4 + 4 = 8
However, if the first bet loses, take that number and add it to the start of the sequence:
9 – 5 – 4 – 1 – 2 – 4 – 4
The next bet will be 9 + 4 = 13
The idea is to play until you hit the target win, which should hopefully be before all the numbers in the sequence are finished.
Fibonacci System
Pros:
- Avoid heavy losses
Cons:
- Little potential for big wins
This is another strategy for conservative or cautious players. Considered to be relatively safe, you need to first get your head round what a Fibonacci sequence is. If we start with 1, it looks like this:
1 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 8 – 13 – 21 – 34 – 55 – 89 – 144 – 233 – 377 – 610 – 987
Each number in the sequence is the sum of the previous two. It doesn’t need to start at 1 – a simplified sequence starting with 5 looks like this:
5 – 5 – 10 – 15 – 25 – 40 – 65 – 105 – 170 – 275
So, whatever your desired opening wager, first work out the sequence based on the logic of the Fibonacci progression, using that as the first number. We strongly recommend that you write it down for easy reference.
Bet on subsequent numbers until you get a win, then move two steps back in the sequence and continue. The idea is that if you make it back to the first number, then you are in profit. This is a big if, of course.
3/2 System
So far, we have looked only at progressive systems that are strictly meant for individual even-money bets. The 3/2 system is completely different – not progressive and betting on two outcomes for each spin. The idea is to cover as many outcomes as possible.
Using 5 units, place 3 of them on an outside bet (let’s say red) and the other 2 on a column of 12 numbers. Overall this is not a terribly popular strategy, as it doesn’t seem to satisfy the risk to reward ratio.
James Bond Strategy
Another non-progressive system, we include this only as a curiosity – it is not recommended. For a start, each spin requires a bet of $200. This may be fine of you have money to burn, but that’s not the case for most of us.
Place $10 on zero, $50 on 13-18 (line bet), and $140 on 19-36. The idea is that 25 numbers are covered, and only 12 lose. Of course you can reduce by a factor of 10 to give a total bet of only $20, but even so the losses can stack up very quickly. The wins using this system are just not big enough to justify the risk.
What is the Best Roulette Strategy?
Having seen some of the popular roulette strategies, which one comes out on top? Experts usually agree that some version of Paroli is the most effective. Like all progressive systems, however, it restricts you to only even-money bets. Some suggest a modified version of Paroli to be the soundest approach. In this case, start increasing your bet only after you have made a profit on your original bankroll. And be sure to drop back to the minimum bet after three or four wins.
As with any roulette system, this is not foolproof. No matter how you decide to play, the house advantage remains the same. You can be strategic, but there is no way to overcome the laws of probability. Check out our recommended roulette sites, where you can try some of the systems that you learned about on this page. All our sites are safe and licensed, so the only thing to worry about is how well you put your best roulette strategy into play.
Roulette Betting Strategy FAQs
- Do roulette strategies work?
Yes and no. They can keep you playing for longer, maximize your chances of being successful, and keep your bankroll steady. But none of those things are guaranteed, even if you follow a strategy perfectly.
- What is a progressive strategy?
Most roulette strategies require progressive betting, meaning that you increase your bet after each win or loss – depending on the strategy you are using. All progressive systems are based on even-money bets like red/black.
- Are there ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ numbers in roulette?
Absolutely not. Over time, every number has exactly the same chance of hitting. If a roulette wheel did have a particular number that came up more often than the others, it would indicate that the wheel was rigged.
- Can I learn how to win at roulette?
Not exactly. What you can do is learn how to lose less money, less often.