Roulette Strategy


Roulette can be a very difficult game to master as far as patience and winning margins go. The simple fact is that the house edge is far too high in this game for winning streaks to continue for very long. One of the first strategies that you will need to grasp to get ahead in the game of roulette is the ability to understand when it is time to quit playing. In short, always be prepared to quit while you are ahead.

One of the most common misconceptions is that the strategy of using past results to determine future outcomes. There are many guides that suggest that you watch the spins and record the results of each spin for a while to employ a process of elimination. This strategy suggests that as numbers come up, the chance of them coming up again is lowered and bets on opposing colors or board sides become more lucrative. This strategy simply does not work.

When you play roulette, you need to understand that most of the game is pure luck. Indeed, by playing cautiously and placing spread bets, you can improve the chances that you will win a small amount of money. However, placing single big bets is meant to be a new player trap. Casinos assume that, because of its popularity and wide usage in films, new players will be excited by the game and expect huge gains. Below you will find the reasons why this is not the case and ways to maximize your profits while playing roulette.

Playing the House

The house edge works like this. By placing safe bets, you will always lose unless you get lucky. For example, if you place 37 bets of $2, you will end up with $2 less than when you started. So, at the end of 37 bets, you will have $72 instead of $74. The standard ratio of the odds will almost always result in this. This is, of course, assuming that you place at least one bet on a specific color and one bet on a single section of the board (1-34, 2-35, and 3-36 respectively).

Losing only $2 in 37 spins should be considered to be acceptable. However, suppose after two sets of 37 spins, you got lucky and won a $40 pot. This is the point at which you should quit. Assuming you were down by $4 from your original bankroll of $74, you would now have a balance of $110. Coming to a roulette table with $74 and leaving with $110 is a very good roulette session. In fact, gains of this high can be very rare. Although $40 does not seem like a whole lot of money, it is more than 50% of your original bankroll, a solid gain.

You may even decide to split your bets (very wise) and cover the board to play the odds. In this case, you would divide your bet of $2 into 5 chips. By placing one of these chips on a single color, two chips on the first section and two chips on an additional section. If you do this, you maximize your odds of coming out ahead in the long run. You may not experience large gains in many of the spins but you can be self assured that your gains will be much more likely after a larger number.

By remaining patient and spreading your bets over a long period of time, you may be able to spend several exciting hours on the website while only losing a few dollars. So, by taking this evidence into account, you can easily see why roulette is so popular among experienced players. Its popularity comes not from large gains but from more play time for less money. Only new players expect to strike it rich with roulette.

Playing the Game

There are two major types of roulette that are typically offered online. These types mainly refer to the wheel that is used. Knowing the difference between these two styles is important if you are preparing to wager money on roulette. These two types are:

American: In American roulette, there is simply one added number. The problem with this added number is that it is a house (or green) number, 00. This number is often referred to as a house number because the casino (or website) will win the spin if either of the house numbers (0 or 00) are rolled.

European: In European roulette, there is a single house number (0) rather than two. Obviously, this gives the players an added advantage. If you are faced with a choice between American and European roulette, you should always choose European.

The game itself is fairly simple. A ball is dropped on a spinning wheel consisting of 36 (or 37 in American roulette) numbers. When the wheel stops spinning, the ball comes to rest in a specific groove that is marked by both a number and a color. When the ball rests on a number, all bets on that number and color win.

Placing Your Bets

Even though the game is simple, making bets is the most important part. Each type of bet carries with it a corresponding ratio of payout should you win. While placing bets on large spreads can be tempting, you may find that progressing into a higher bankroll is very difficult. At the same time, if your aim is just to have a good time, placing bets on large spreads (like evens and odds) can be a good strategy to make your money last. Provided here are some of the bets that you can make and their typical payouts:

Even and Odd: This bet is in regard to the numbers. If you bet on Even, you will win if an even number is rolled. This is a spread bet that only pays 1:1.

Red and Black: This bet is in regard to the colors. If you bet on Red, you will win if a red number is rolled. This is a spread bet that only pays 1:1.

First Half and Second Half: This bet is in regard to the numbers. If you bet on the first half of the numbers (1-18), you will win if one of these numbers is rolled. This is a spread bet that only pays 1:1.

Dozen Bets: As the board consists of 36 numbers, you may bet on each 12 of these numbers. If you bet on the second dozen and any of these numbers are rolled, you will win. This is a spread bet that pays 2:1.

Six Number Bet: Just as it sounds, you bet on a group of 6 numbers. This bet pays outs at 5:1.

Five Number Bet: This is not a very wise bet and it may only be made on American roulette boards. This bet regards the numbers 00-3. The payout ratio is 6:1.

Four Number Bet: Just as it sounds, you bet on a group of 4 numbers. This bet pays outs at 8:1.

Three Number Bet: Just as it sounds, you bet on a group of 3 numbers. This bet pays outs at 11:1.

Two Number Bet: Just as it sounds, you bet on a group of 2 numbers. This bet pays outs at 17:1.

single Number Bet: This is a common (and wise) bet to make during each spin if you are looking to win decent amounts of money. You bet on a single number and collect if that number is rolled. This is the highest pay out ratio at 35:1.

It is important to note that your bets must be placed on numbers that touch if you make 2,3,4,5 or 6 number bets. For example, if you place a 4 number bet, the chip is placed on the adjoining corners or 4 numbers. If you are new to ratios, the math is simple. Should you place a $10 bet on the number 32 and that number is rolled, you will win $350. Placing small bets on spreads that pay 2:1 or 5:1 is a good strategy while playing roulette. You may also decide to place bets on a single color, number and spread to make your chances of winning big while continuing to break even more likely.
Last Updated ( Friday, 05 June 2009 19:03 )