Roulette is without a doubt the most popular table game at both online and land based casinos. When you enter a casino you are guaranteed to find at least a few players sitting at the roulette table, focused on the roulette wheel as they are waiting for the ball to land on their lucky slot.
Differences between American and European roulette
The game of roulette has been present at casinos for a long time. Over the years it was perfected and upgraded to the form we all know and love today. In general, the game is divided into two basic variations; American and European roulette. Basically, they are two identical games, but with one crucial difference.
If you take a look at the European variant of roulette you will see that the wheel has numbers ranging from 1 to 36 and an additional 0. On the American version however, you will see an added 00. So why is this added 00 of any importance?
Winning strategies for roulette
In order to learn how to win at roulette in casinos the first order of business is to know the game and the odds it offers to players. Since the American version of roulette has a 00 added the odds of winning are lower than on the European version.
Odds and bets on the roulette wheel
The first tip on how to win at roulette in casinos is to play the European version. The reason is simple. Since the game has only a single 0 the house edge is 2.70%. On the American version with the 00 the house edge climbs to 5.26%. So right off the bat your chances of winning increase when playing single 0 roulette.
But in order to be a master at roulette you have to know the bets you can make, the payout of each bet and the odds of your bet. This is why it’s a good idea to practice the game first and play in fun mode on the electronic version of roulette.
Start with simple bets
In order to learn the game you need to start with the simpler bets. The simplest bets you can make on roulette are Low or High, Red or Black and Even or Odd. These types of bets come with odds of 48.60% on European Roulette and 47.4% on American Roulette, with a payout of 1 to 1.
Move on to betting on Dozen or columns
The next possible bet is betting on Dozen or a Column, which covers 12 numbers in a single bet. The odds of winning here are 32.40% on the European wheel and 31.6% on the American wheel. These bets have a payout of 2 to 1.
Betting a number sequence
The other bets you can place on roulette are bets on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 numbers. A single bet or a bet placed on a single number has the highest payout in roulette of 35 to 1, but also comes with the highest house edge. The odds of winning on a single bet number are 2.70% for the European and 2.60% for the American wheel.
Betting on Split bet
Betting on 2 adjacent numbers or Split Bet comes with odds of 5.41% and 5.26% for the European and American wheel accordingly and comes with a payout of 17 to 1. Betting on 3 numbers or a Street Bet has a payout of 11 to 1 and comes with odds of 8.11% and 7.89% in the European and American version.
Betting on corner bet
If you bet on 4 numbers which form a square on the table it’s called a Corner Bet, coming with a payout of 8 to 1. The odds of winning here are 10.81% and 10.53% for the European and American wheel accordingly.
Betting on 5 sequential numbers (only in American roulette)
Betting on 5 numbers is available in American Roulette only, where you cover the 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3 numbers. This bet comes with a payout of 6 to 1 and odds of 13.16%. Betting on 6 numbers is called a Double Street Bet where you cover 2 rows on the table, with a payout of 5 to 1. The odds here are 16.22% and 15.79% for the European and American version.
How long should you play for to guarantee winnings?
Roulette is a game of chance and as all other casino games it has a house edge which works against the player. In reality there is no 100% reliable strategy which you can use in order to win on roulette every time, simply because then the casinos would be out of business.
Albert Einstein once said the only way to win at roulette is to steal the money from the table when the dealer is not looking. In the long run this is true since the house edge works against you. No matter how small it is after a sufficient number of spins you will go bust.
But there are some strategies which you can use in order to make a profit and leave the table when you’re still ahead. This is the best strategy while playing roulette which guarantees that you will have a profit almost every time.
Only play with your winnings.
No matter which bets you use when you’re ahead cash out your winnings and play only with your original deposit. This way you will risk only the money you were going to risk anyway in the first place and you will keep your winnings. There are also some popular betting strategies which you can use in order to make a profit. Here’s some of them:
The Martingale system
This is one of the simplest betting strategies on roulette and a personal favorite for many players. The trick in this strategy is to double your bet every time you hit a losing spin. This way you will cover your losses and break even, while keeping the profit from your winning spins.
The only downside of this method is when you hit a losing streak. This means that you will constantly have to double up in order to cover your losses. In the end you can easily end up running out of balance or hitting the table maximum bet limit.
The Reverse Martingale (Paroli) system
This system propagates that you place flat bets until you hit a win. Then you need to double your bet, hoping that you hit a winning streak. This way you can easily make a big profit in a short number of spins. The trick here is to go back to your original bet when you hit a losing spin and start over.
Find the best strategy for you
Betting strategies without a doubt will help you in playing roulette, but in the end it all comes down to luck and experience. You need to practice playing the game first and make sure that you know the payout of each bet you place.
After that you can easily calculate the possible winnings and over time develop a betting strategy of your own. Since roulette is a game of chance you will need some luck on your side, but the most important thing to look out for is control.
Don’t go chasing monster wins while playing roulette. In a few unlucky spins, you can easily end up losing all of your balance. Manage your bankroll accordingly and play with patience. Most importantly cash out your winnings regularly and play with money you can only afford to lose.
Read further: ‘how to win at the Casino‘.