Roulette Strategy Guide: Odds, Payouts, and Betting Systems
Roulette is a game of chance, which implies that it is entirely reliant on odds. So, before you start betting, it’s important to know the available odds and find a good roulette strategy that can increase your chances of winning. Below, we’ve created an in-depth guide that will teach you the best playstyles and variations for this table game.
How the casino gets its House Edge
- The Martingale Betting System
- Reverse Martingale Strategy
- Fibonacci Strategy
- James Bond Non-Progressive Betting System
- The D’Alembert System
Is there a perfect Roulette strategy?
Roulette Odds Basics
One of the greatest advantages of roulette is that there are many types of bets that you can make, which lets you create a personal strategy. You can choose from a wide range of wagers, including low-risk bets that have higher winning probability but lower payouts, and high-risk bets, where the probability is low but the payouts are greater. Additionally, all the bets come with a house edge that ensures that the casino will make a profit in the long run.
For example, the betting odds of hitting a single number with a straight-up bet are 37 to 1, because there are 38 numbers on the wheel (1 to 36, plus 0 and 00). However, the winning payout potential is 35 to 1 and the chances of landing it are as low as 2.6%.
On the other hand, an even bet, such as red or black has a payout of 1:1, but the chances of hitting the correct color are close to 50%.
No matter what strategy you go for, the roulette takes time before you can get used to it. Visit this page to discover the latest roulette bonuses available. By claiming this type of online casino deals, you can extend your playtime, which means you get more chances to find a winning strategy.
Check the chart below to find out all the payouts and odds of the bets that are available at the roulette table:
Outside bets payouts and odds
An outside bet usually offers the players the best chance of landing a win. Despite having a high win chance, these bets will only pay you 1:1, which means doubling your initial wager. If the wheel stops on 0 or 00 all outside bets are lost. The column and dozen bet cover 12 of the numbers on the roulette wheel and give you around 1 in 3 chance of winning, with a payout of 2:1.
There are a few bets that are “outside” the 38 numbers on the table. They are related to a specific set of numbers or colors. The most common outside bets are:
Odd or Even
This bet has a 1 to 1 payout if the wheel stops on a number that is either odd or even. The chances of winning for this bet are 48.65% for the European Roulette and 47.37% for the US version. Bear in mind that the numbers 0 and 00 aren’t part of the even or odd bets, so if you hit them, you lose, unless you’re playing the French or European version of the game.
Red or Black
The color bet includes all the red numbers or all the black numbers, and you bet on the color of the next number. The payout potential is 1 to 1, which makes this bet a great choice for beginners. Similar to the Odd or Even bet, the winning chances are nearly 50%.
Low or High
This is the bet where you have to select either all the low or high numbers and put your chips on 1-18 or 19-36, which is almost half of the numbers available on the wheel(0 and 00 are excluded)
Columns
If the ball stops on a number from one of the columns that you chose, you will receive a 2 to 1 payout. The numbers on the table are organized into three columns containing 12 numbers each. The odds of winning the column bet are 32.4% for the European version and 31.6% for the American version.
Dozens
Dozens is a bet on a group of 12 numbers on the table. The groups consist of three sections – 1 to 12, 13 to 24, and 25 to 36. Each dozen has a payout of 2 to 1, meaning that a $100 winning bet will bring you $300, including your initial stake.
Even though the odds of winning a dozen bet are around 31.6%, which implies that there is a house edge, there are way more chances of winning the round this way, compared to a single number straight-up bet.
Inside bets payouts and odds
The roulette allows players to bet on specific numbers or set of numbers on the inside of the table’s layout. These wagers occur less often, but they have greater payouts. Some examples of inside bets include:
Corner
The corner of the roulette divides the bet by four numbers that are touching. To place a corner bet, just place your chips in the middle of the four numbers. This bet has an 8 to 1 payout and has a winning chance of 8.1% in European roulette and 7.9% in American roulette.
Street
The street bet covers 3 numbers that are in a horizontal row. The chips must be placed on the outer edge of each number in the row. The potential payout of a winning street bet is 11 to 1, which means that the chances of winning are 8.1% for European Roulette and 7.9% for the American variant.
Split
This type of bet allows you to bet on two different numbers during the same spin. This is considered an inside bet because all the numbers that have intersecting lines are located inside of the table. The payout is 17 to 1 with a percentage chance of 5.4% for the European version and 5.3% for American roulette.
Straight Up
This is the most common and exciting bet in roulette. A straight-up bet refers to betting on just one number during a roll. This wager has the greatest payout in roulette, which is 35 to 1. However, the odds to predict a single number are as low as 2.7% in the European version and 2.6% in American Roulette.
Basket
The basket bet covers the first 5 numbers at the top of the table, which includes 1,2,3 and the zeros. The chips should be placed at the corner shared between the 0 and 1 or 0 and 3. This bet covers for the ball landing in either of the first five numbers on the board. With a payout of 6 to 1, this bet has a decent winning chance of 13.1
How the casino gets its House Edge
The roulette payouts have one thing in common – they all payout less than the true winning odds are. In fact, casinos enjoy an approximate 5.26% house edge, which essentially means that your chances of winning will always be less than the payout amount.
For example, the odds of winning a straight-up bet are 37 to 1, because there are 37 losing numbers on the wheel and only 1 that will win. However, the payout for this bet is 35 to 1, not 37 to 1 as you might expect, which implies that the house wins more often than it loses.
The casino has a certain mathematical advantage on every bet and no roulette strategy can entirely overcome this advantage. While anything can happen in the short run, the mathematically true results will only come around the closer you get to an infinite number of bets. The explanation for amateurs walking away from the roulette table is the standard deviation, which is a measure of the amount of variation of a set of values.
Roulette Strategies
As one of the most popular casino table games, the roulette has been the subject of many statistical analysis and odds calculations. There are many websites and books out there that claim to have found a fool-proof roulette strategy. However, after we’ve examined all the possibilities, we’ve concluded that no betting system can guarantee you a win. Below, we’ve explained the best strategies that you can apply to improve your win rate:
The Martingale Betting System
The Martingale system is a progressive betting strategy that suggests to double down your bet every time you lose. The goal is to recoup all your previous losses and gaining a little profit by betting on the same color every time. Despite being beginner-friendly, the Martingale is a very risky strategy, especially when you’re on a budget. Follow these steps if you want to use this tactic:
- Choose a table with a small minimum bet and a great maximum bet. It’s essential to start small because you will want to double your bets as much as you can;
- Place the smallest outside wager on black or red, even or odd or 1-18 or 19-36;
- If you win, keep your earnings and place the same bet again. You could even walk away now, but there is not a big difference between leaving the table with $1 or $2;
- In case you lose, double the original bet value and put it on the same bet again. For example: if you lose $1 on black, you need to bet $2 on black again;
- If you win the second wager, keep the winnings and use the initial small bet again. You’ve already recouped your losses and can return to a smaller amount.
- If you lose again, double your bet value and retry.
- Repeat this process until you lose everything or you reach the max bet available at the table.
Reverse Martingale Strategy
This roulette gameplay method is the opposite of the Martingale strategy. Instead of increasing the bet value when you lose, the goal is to increase them when you win and lower them after a loss. You want to make money on hot streaks and minimize your losses as much as possible during rough streaks. To use it you will have to:
- Find a table with a suitable bet range;
- Place a small bet on a color, even or odd, or 1-18 or 19-36;
- Keep your bet on the same spot until you hit it. If you keep losing, continue betting a very small amount;
- When you hit the wager and win, double your bet on the same spot;
- If you win, keep doubling the bet;
- If you lose, return to the original bet value.
Fibonacci Strategy
The Fibonacci sequence is characterized by the fact that every number after the first two is the sum of the two previous ones. So, the series goes like this: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, and so on. In roulette, the Fibonacci technique involves betting by adding the last two wagers together. With this method, you have a chance to leave with a profit even if you lost more rounds than you won. To apply this strategy you need to:
- Start with a small bet on even or odd, black or red, or 1-18 or 19-36;
- If you lose, increase the bet by going down the Fibonacci sequence. If you start with $1 and you lose, bet $1 again. If you lose the second bet, increase it to $2;
- Whenever you win, move back two numbers in the sequence and bet that amount;
When using this system, it’s best to try walking away while you’re ahead. However, you shouldn’t rely on the number of wins versus losses, because you could be in the black even if you’ve lost more rounds than you won.
James Bond Non-Progressive Betting System
This is a roulette strategy that was coined by Ian Fleming in the Agent 007 movie. According to the movie, this is a “guaranteed” method that can “win you the price of a good dinner”. This roulette strategy requires having at least $200. Here’s how to use it:
- Place $140 on the high numbers (10-36);
- Bet $50 on numbers 13 through 18;
- Bet $10 on 0 to have insurance;
Even though this strategy covers more than half of the table, If you’re unlucky and the wheel stops on a number between 1 and 12 you will lose everything. However, if your bets come through, you will earn a great profit. The 19-36 bet will bring you $80, if the 13-18 shows up, you win $100 and the 0 will bring $160.
The D’Alembert System
This roulette tactic is a safer alternative to the Martingale system, which can be accomplished by increasing and decreasing your bets by one, which is safer than doubling.
- Start with a small wager on color, even or odd, or 1-18 or 19-36;
- Increase the bet value by one after a loss, and decrease it by one after a win;
- Leave the table only when you’ve had at least as many wins as losses.
- If you’re on a winning streak, you can continue playing until your won rounds equal your total losses. In case you’re losing a lot, hold tight until winning rounds are equal to your losing ones.
If you come out even on the total number of losses and wins, the D’Alembert roulette strategy will bring you some cash. For example, let’s say you bet $5 on black and you lose. Therefore, you increase your bet to $6 on black. You lose on more time, so your bet amount goes up to $7. You win, meaning your wager goes back to $6 and you win again.
Essentially, you lost two rounds and won two, so the math will is: – 5 – 6 + 7 + 6 = 2. The difficult part about this strategy is keeping track of your wins and losses.
Gambler’s Fallacy
This term refers to the erroneous belief of gamblers that if a particular bet occurs more often than normal, it is less likely it will happen again soon (or vice versa). However, it was mathematically proven that the probability of these events isn’t dependent on what happened in the past, and are referred to as statistically independent.
A great example of the occurrence of Gambler’s Fallacy is the Monte Carlo Casino story where the ball fell on black 26 times in a row. This is an extremely rare occurrence, as the probability of red or black occurring 26 times consecutively is 1 in 66.6 million, as long as the mechanism is unbiased.
The gamblers at Monte Carlo lost millions by betting against black because they thought that this streak was causing a change in the randomness of the wheel, and they were expecting a long streak of red.
With this in mind, remember that roulette is a game of chance and the outcome is completely random. So, no matter what method you’re using there will be moments when you’ll lose because of bad luck, which doesn’t necessarily mean that the wheel is rigged.
Is there a perfect Roulette strategy?
While applying these strategies can drastically improve your winning odds, remember that the main goal of the casino is making money off the players. The embedded house edge guarantees the casino a profit in the long run, despite the amounts paid to the players. So, no matter what strategy you use, there are times when you’ll be victorious and other times you will leave the table with a loss.
Even though there is no perfect system that guarantees your success with the roulette, the uncertainty of the outcome is what makes the roulette game so addictive and entertaining. If you’re looking for a live roulette experience, check out the latest live dealer bonuses and join an online gambling session in real-time.
Conclusion
This article covers all the statistical probabilities and winning odds for all the possible bets that you can place at the roulette table. By using the information we’ve provided in this guide, you can easily find your playstyle and feel more confident when the wheel is spinning. But remember that this is a game of chance, which means that you can potentially lose everything, so it is important to set a budget before you start.