How to Win at Roulette: Strategies, Tricks, and Tips
Roulette is one of the most famous games in all casinos, both offline and online. Only those who have tried it can explain the feeling of watching the wheel spin while hoping for success in their bets.
At first glance, you might think roulette is a game of pure luck, but with a deeper analysis, you’ll notice certain patterns and characteristics that can help you win more frequently. In this article, we’ve prepared everything you need to know about roulette strategy, whether you play for fun or want to earn some extra income.
Is There a 100% Effective Strategy?
Unfortunately, no method always allows you to win at roulette. In all casino games you encounter, the house will always have an advantage over the players, and roulette is no exception. So, you should always keep this in mind, as no strategy will make you win 100% of the time.
However, there are a variety of tricks for playing roulette that you can use to increase your chances of winning. Choose a strategy where you understand exactly what is happening and feel it suits your style of play.
Different Types of Roulette Strategies
Progressive Bets on Martingale Strategy
The Martingale method is one of the most well-known roulette strategies. Originating in the 18th century, this strategy involves doubling your initial bet every time you lose. It is usually used for outside bets (red/black, even/odd, or low numbers/high numbers).
For example, if your initial bet is $1, you will receive $2 if you win. If you lose, you should increase your bet to $2. This way, if you win, you will profit $4 while investing only $3 in bets ($2 + $1).
You should always follow this logic until you finally win. By doubling the bet, you cover the money lost in previous rounds.
This strategy is quite effective, but its main problem is that the bet amounts increase exponentially. With a base bet of $1, for example, you would need to wager $128 after 8 losing rounds to cover the previous bets. Such high stakes could potentially exceed the table’s maximum limit, making this technique impractical.
Paroli System
The Paroli system is very similar to the Martingale strategy, and it is sometimes called the “reverse Martingale strategy.”
In this system, instead of doubling your bet every time you lose, you double your bet every time you win. The losses and gains are exactly the same as in the previous strategy, as are the probabilities of winning.
D’Alembert System
This system, which also uses a progressive method, tries to address a shortcoming of the other mentioned systems: the exponential growth of the bet amounts. At the same time, it eliminates the imminent possibility of exceeding the table’s maximum limit.
Thus, this system proposes that you increase your bet by only one unit when you lose. Conversely, when you win, you decrease your bet by one unit.
For example, if you bet $5 and lose the initial bet, you should increase the bet to $6. If, on the second bet, you win, you should decrease your bet by one unit, i.e., back to $5.
Mathematical Sequence (Fibonacci System)
This system is based on the famous Fibonacci mathematical sequence. You should increase your bet according to this sequence. When you finally win, you should go back to two numbers in the sequence.
This method distributes the large losses over several rounds. Although the bets grow less exponentially than in the Martingale system, they still increase significantly with this method.
Non-Progressive Bets on Labouchere Strategy
This strategy may seem a bit more complex than the previous ones, but its potential gains can attract anyone.
To start, choose any sequence of numbers. For example, we will use the sequence 1-2-5-4-3-1. In this strategy, the bet should correspond to the sum of the first and last numbers of the sequence. In our case, $1 + $1 = $2. If the bet is successful, you remove the first and last numbers from the sequence, leaving you with 2-5-4-3 in our example. Repeat the process with the new bet amount of $2 + $3 = $5.
If you lose the bet, you should add the amount of the bet to the end of the sequence. Thus, we would have 1-2-5-4-3-1-2. The next bet amount would be $3.
James Bond Strategy
With this strategy, you can become a true movie star. To start, you should place $140 on the numbers 19 to 36, $50 on the six numbers between 13 and 18, and finally, $10 on 0. With this bet, you are covering almost all the numbers on the roulette.
If you win, your profits will be as follows:
- If a number between 19-36 comes up, you will win $80.
- If a number between 13-18 comes up, you will collect $100.
- If 0 comes up, you will win $160.
- If a number between 1 and 12 comes up, you will lose your money and should re-bet according to the Martingale strategy mentioned earlier.
Betting on Neighboring Numbers
This strategy, which is much more common in the European version, allows you to bet on the neighbours of a number according to their position on the roulette. For example, if you make a bet on 2 neighbours on the number 12, you will bet on numbers 7 and 28 (to the left of 12) and numbers 35 and 3 (to the right of 12), in addition to 12 itself.
Flat Betting
The Flat Betting strategy simply involves always betting the same amount. Although it doesn’t favour large gains, this strategy allows you to better manage your money, making it ideal for beginners in the game.
Why Are There No Perfect Strategies in Roulette?
The answer to this question is very simple: because the main goal of casinos is to make money from their bettors. Although you might get lucky and end up with large amounts of money, in the long run, the casino will consistently come out ahead.
Similarly, roulette was designed so that, over multiple rounds, the casino has a clear advantage over the bettors. However, you can use our techniques to win more frequently in online roulette.
Tips to Improve Your Roulette Game
There Is No Magic Rule to Always Win
As mentioned before, no method allows you to win 100% of the time. Some rounds you will win, others you will lose. However, you can use various strategies to increase your chances of leaving the table with a profit.
Always Choose the Casino Carefully
Choosing a good casino is as essential as understanding the rules of roulette. Before placing any bets, you should research the casino to ensure it is trustworthy. Take the opportunity to find the casino that offers the best bonuses and the most convenient deposit/withdrawal methods.
European Instead of American, French Instead of European
Although they may seem very similar, the three main roulette variants have significant differences in terms of player return.
To start, there are two types of roulette wheels: the European (also used in French roulette), which has only one zero, and the American, which has two zeros. As you can understand, the casino gains a significant advantage with the additional zero, so you should always choose European roulette over American.
Since the European and French roulette have the same type of wheel, the difference lies in the game rules. French roulette includes one of the following two rules, either “La Partage” or “En Prison,” which can partially or fully return the money bet if your bet is lost. Therefore, you should always choose French roulette over European, as you can recover your losses in French roulette.
Try the Free Mode First
Many online casinos offer a free version of their roulette games. You should take advantage of this to practice your strategies. This way, when you decide to bet with real money, you will have much more confidence and certainty in your decisions and the next steps to take.
Choose the Game's Objective: Have Fun or Win
Defining your game objective in advance is also essential for the best possible experience. If you just want to have fun and don’t mind losing some money at roulette, then you can use more aggressive strategies or simply trust your instincts. On the other hand, if your goal is to win some money, you should carefully calculate all your moves.
Summary
In summary, you should remember that roulette, like all casino games, is designed for the house to win most of the time. However, with certain strategies, you can significantly increase your chances of winning. Therefore, play responsibly and never risk money you can’t afford to lose. Above all, have fun! Happy betting!