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Roulette Strategies
Many casino games offer players the possibility to have a playing strategy which can help them improve their performance or, at least, control their spending. Roulette is one of those games that can be played with a strategy and hence during the years players have come up with a huge number of tactics which they expect will increase their winnings over the long run. Some of these strategies have proved extremely popular among players, whereas others have been quickly forgotten. In any case, today players can choose to try one of the well known progressive strategies or even invent one of their own.
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Progressive Betting Systems
Usually, when people are talking about betting systems they think of progressive betting systems. Just like their name suggests, these systems involve gradually increasing the bets. Therefore, when a player plans to use one of the progressive betting systems it is highly recommended to play on roulette tables that have high limits as well as to have big bankrolls. The reason for this is very simple – progressive betting systems can quickly empty your account or reach the maximum bet amount. The two best examples of this kind of betting systems are Martingale’s strategy and Fibonacci’s strategy.
The table above shows what happens after 10 consecutive losses if you are using Martingale’s and Fibonacci’s strategy. Since both of them are progressive betting systems, after each loss a player is expected to increase the bet. Martingale’s advice is to double the last bet amount, whereas Fibonacci’s advice is to sum up the last two bets to get the next one. Therefore, Martingale’s system escalates relatively quickly and after 10 losses a player is supposed to bet 1024 credits, if he had started with a 1 credit bet. Fibonacci’s system, on the other hand, is much slower and hence after 10 losses players will have to bet only 89 credits.
Even though using a betting system might make you think that you have control over the game, they are, in fact, really dangerous. The truth is, theoretically they are infallible, but in theory they entail unlimited resources as well. This is impossible in the real world and hence using a betting strategy does not necessarily mean you will end up as a winner. As was mentioned before, players usually have limited bankrolls that can stop them from reaching the point of making a profit. Also, roulette tables have betting limits that can prevent players from keeping up with the strategy after several consecutive losing sessions.
Other Roulette Strategies
Since roulette was first played, people have invented many different roulette strategies whose ultimate objective is to beat the house. Besides using progressive betting systems, players have tried playing with neighbouring numbers on both the layout and the wheel or following hot and cold numbers. However, all of these strategies rarely prove worth the investment since there’s not a strategy that can beat this unique game yet. Whichever betting strategy you choose to try, you have to remember that neither the roulette house edge is going to be lowered nor your chances to win will be increased thanks to it.
Why These Strategies Don’t Work?
Many players wonder why these strategies developed by experts simply don’t work. Well, the answer to that question is really very simple – all of them are based on the premises that after a series of losses, you’re bound to win. However, that is not true since in reality things work differently. This belief has its own term and it is called Gambler’s Fallacy or Monte Carlo Fallacy. Its main idea is that if something happens more frequently than normal during some period of time, it will happen less frequently in the future. However, in life things happen randomly and hence this belief is completely wrong. You can learn more about this phenomenon in this exhaustive Wikipedia article.
What Bets Can You Place in Online Roulette?
When playing roulette, each bet has its odds and probabilities. These two terms may seem complicated, but, in fact, they give you an image of your chance to hit a winning combination. Naturally, different games have different odds and probabilities. In roulette, the odds depend on the type of bet you are placing as well as on the type of roulette you are playing. The better the odds are, the bigger your chance to win is as well. However, if the odds are in your favour depends whether you are betting on a single number, group of numbers or a colour. For example, the worst odds of winning are on single number bets; placing a straight up bet has odds of 36:1. On the other hand, the best odds of 19:18 (a bit less than 50-50 chance) are found on the even paying bets such as red, black, even and odd.
Inside Bets
Inside bets on roulette are called the bets placed on the area where the numbers are printed. Inside bets usually have worse odds and better payouts than outside bets. There are several inside bets, but generally speaking, players can bet on a single number or on groups of numbers. The best paying inside bet with a payout 35 to 1 is the straight-up bet i.e. betting on any single number. Some other popular inside bets are split, basket, street, corner, top line and six line. Some bets such as basket and top line can be placed only on double-zero American layouts.
European Roulette – Inside Bets
Minimum bet | Description | Probability | Payout ratio |
---|---|---|---|
Straight | A bet that is placed on a single number and will win only if the exact number comes out. | 2.7% | 35 to 1 |
Split | When the chip is placed on the line that separates two neighbouring numbers. | 5.41% | 17 to 1 |
Street | This bet covers a group of 3 numbers in a row. There are 12 streets on the felt. | 8.11% | 11 to 1 |
Corner | A bet that covers four neighbouring numbers. The chip has to connect all 4 squares. | 10.81% | 8 to 1 |
Six Line | This bet adjoins two neighbouring street bets. | 16.20% | 5 to 1 |
Outside Bets
Opposite of inside bets are outside bets. These bets are placed outside the number field and hence their name. Placing outside bets gives you better odds of scoring a prize, but it comes with lower payout as well. Outside bets usually cover several fields at once and therefore it is much more probable to guess the winning number by placing these types of bets. Besides the most popular even money red, black, even and odd bets, players also can bet on high (manque) and low (passe), i.e. the first and second set of 18 numbers on the layout. Other outside bets are dozen, column and snake.
Outside Bets in European Roulette
Minimum bet | Description | Probability | Payout ratio |
---|---|---|---|
Red / Black | Guess the colour of the number. Close to 50:50 chance, zero busts all. | 48.65% | 1 to 1 |
Odd / Even | The name says it all. You have to guess whether the result would be odd or even. | 48.65% | 1 to 1 |
High / Low | Low numbers are these between 1 and 18. High ones are from 19 to 36. | 32.40% | 2 to 1 |
Dozens | There are 3 dozens sectors on the table. 1-12, 13-24 and 25-36. | 32.4% | 2 to 1 |
Columns | A bet on all numbers in each of the three vertical columns. | 32.4% | 2 to 1v |
Called/Announced Bets
Usually accepted on French Roulette tables, called bets, or also known as announced bets, can be of five different types. Number Neighbours (Voisin du Nombre), Zero Neighbours (Voisins du Zero), Third Section of the Wheel (Tiers du Cylindre), Full Orphans (Orphelin Plein) and Orphans Split (Orphelin Cheval). These bets got their name because in brick and mortar casinos they are usually called by players before the bet is placed on the table. However, this is not possible when playing online roulette. Called/announced bets are usually placed on a separate layout and there are some online games that feature these types of bets.
Called Bets in Roulette
Minimum bet | Chips | Description | Probability | Payout ratio |
---|---|---|---|---|
Neighbours of zero | 9 | A nine-chip pattern that includes Split and Corner bets and covers the 17 sectors on the wheel between 22 and 25. | 45.90% | 8 to 1, 11 to 1 and 17 to 1. |
Orphans | 5 | There is a straight bet on 1 and four splits at 6/9, 14/17, 17,20 and 31/34. | 21.6% | 35 to 1 or 17 to 1. |
Third of the wheel | 6 | Six chips will be placed on the following splits: 5/8, 10/11, 13/16, 23/24, 27/30, 33/36 | 32.40% | 17 to 1. |
Zero game | 4 | A straight bet on 26 and three splitson 0/3, 12/15, 32/35 | 18.90% | 35 to 1 or 17 to 1. |
Conclusion
You should never forget that roulette is just a game of chance. This means that sometimes you will win and sometimes you will lose. Roulette has a house edge and that cannot be changed no matter what strategies you use. Whatever you try, you cannot really beat the game. However, what you can do is enjoy every single second of it. Furthermore, you can claim casino bonuses so that you play for free and win real money. Additionally, online roulette bonuses can help you play a bit longer than you could afford with your bankroll only as well as they can help you limit your spending. The only thing that you should be mindful of is the fact that roulette games contribute less than most casino games towards the wagering requirements of the bonuses. This is due to the fact that roulette is one of the casino games that features the lowest house edge, especially when talking about the European and French variations of the game. This is why usually roulette contributes to the wagering of the bonus at a rate of 10 to 50%.