Getting the most from your Roulette Play
People have been trying to beat Roulette games with different strategies for 100’s of years. The fact that they casinos are still profitable, and that they welcome players using Roulette systems clearly shows that there is no fool-proof way to beat the house. Instead, a realistic strategy for this game is all about maximizing your enjoyment, while giving yourself the opportunity to enjoy the short-term windfalls that Roulette does bring.
This guide takes you through the various aspects of Roulette strategy. First of all I’ll start with the most basic strategy tip of all, choosing the wheel with the lowest house edge. Next betting systems are briefly covered, outlining their fundamental flaws. After that the all-important comps and bonuses are brought into the discussion – before the often overlooked area of money management is discussed at the end.
Wheel Types in Roulette Strategy
No solid Roulette strategy uses the US wheel. This is the authentic Roulette wheel, the one which came from the historical origins of the game. At some point down the line, the European wheel changed to a single zero setup. This is such a big advantage to the player (or rather smaller edge to the house), that no serious player would choose the US (‘double zero’) wheel nowadays.
There is one game which is even better – French Roulette. This is available in some live casinos and also online and uses the single zero European wheel as the basis. The difference is that you’ll get a return of half your money from even money outside bets when the ball lands on the zero. If you make any outside bets at all, then playing this game instead of the European wheel becomes a strategic no-brainer.
Roulette Strategy and Betting Systems
From a purely mathematical view point, unrelated events each having an advantage to the house cannot be magically changed into an advantage for the player. Whatever the claims of those trying to sell you the latest ‘proven’ system based on the Martingale (stake doubling after a loss) concept. If you have any doubts, just remind yourself that the casinos welcome systems bettors – and are still standing.
What Martingale type systems can do is smooth out some of the short term swings. In the end, people using them will either go broke or hit the table betting limits. In the short-term, the stake-doubling type systems will give you more frequent wins, though they will be small. Just make sure that you realize that these small wins are short-term in nature and will be wiped out by the big losses as the inevitable reversion to the mean happens.
A more interesting system is known as the Paroli betting sequence. This doubles after a win, and aims to put together 3 wins in a row for a big payday. 1-2-4-8 can leave you with a big pile of chips. This one will never beat the house edge either, however for a recreational player the occasional bigger wins can make this a more entertaining sequence.
Comps and Bonuses in Roulette Strategy
Maximizing your enjoyment while you play is the real goal for Roulette fans – along with enjoying the short-term upswings. Comps are the rewards given out by casinos for their regular players and are worth getting hold of when you play Roulette. The most common format is to register for a player’s card and hand this to the croupier at the start of your session. You will then get free meals and other perks at your casino.
Online Roulette fans can enjoy perks in the form of bonuses and other special deals, for example free spins. Since Roulette is a low house-edge game, many casinos do restrict the amount of ‘play-through’ that this game counts for. If you are going to enjoy the games anyway, and have the chance to take a bonus alongside, then not doing this would be a big strategic mistake.
Roulette Strategy and Money Management
It is obvious to all players that putting your entire bankroll on a single number for your first spin would be a crazy strategy. Yet many players are happy to make mistakes which are similar, though slightly less extreme. Managing your money (or bankroll management) in the casino setting is all about finding that sweet spot between playing for meaningful stakes, and making sure that you do not wipe out your entire bankroll in a single spin.
The exact amount of your bankroll for this game depends on the mix of inside and outside bets that you prefer for each spin. Outside (black / red) type bets have a far lower variance than individual numbers. I recommend that you stick with 1/20th of your total bankroll on any one spin, and adjust up and down depending on the variance of your preferred betting pattern. The advantage of this strategy is that you can bet more or less depending on whether you are having a winning or a losing session.