Roulette Basics – Getting to Grips with the Game
Roulette is a casino game that is focused on a wheel that consists of coloured numbered segments. Half of the numbers are black while the other half are red. The wheel rotates in one direction, and a ball is released onto the wheel, moving in the opposite direction. The outcome of the round is determined by the coloured numbered pocket that the ball eventually stops in. Before the ball is spun inside the wheel, players place their bets, predicting where the ball will land.
The three main versions of the casino game are European, French and American Roulette. In European and French Roulette, the wheel consists of 37 numbers whilst American Roulette has 38 numbers. In all versions, numbers 1 to 36 are either red or black. In European and French Roulette, there is a single green 0 that is neutral. In American Roulette, there is a green 0 and an additional green 00. The additional 00 increases the house edge in American Roulette, as opposed to the other two versions. Each of these roulette versions has the same gameplay, with minor differences in their rules.
The numbers on the roulette wheel are not sequential. Instead, they are scattered around the wheel in a specific randomized order. Before the round begins, players will have to place their bets on the betting area. The betting area is systematically divided to include all the numbers and several other bets that sit on the perimeter of the numbered betting area.
Understanding Types of Roulette Bets
There are two main types of roulette bets that are available in all versions of the game. The two types are Inside Bets and Outside Bets. Inside Bets are wagers that are placed within the numbered betting area whilst Outside Bets are placed on the perimeter of the betting area. Below, we list all of the Inside and Outside Bets in roulette.
Inside Bets
- Straight Up Bet – A bet on a single number. It pays 35:1.
- Split Bet – A bet on two numbers that are adjacent to one another on the betting area. The bet is placed on the line between the two numbers on the betting area. It pays 17:1.
- Street Bet – A bet on three sequential numbers in a row (for instance 4, 5, 6). There are also special street bets that can be placed on numbers 0, 1 and 2 or 0, 2 and 3. It pays 11:1.
- Corner Bet – A bet on four numbers that are joined by their corners. An example of this is 14, 15, 17 and 18. It pays 8:1.
- Line Bet – A bet on two neighbouring streets. It covers a total of six numbers and pays 8:1.
- Basket Bet – A bet on the numbers 0, 1, 2, 3. It pays 6:1.
- Top Line Bet – A bet that is only available in American Roulette and it covers the numbers 0, 00, 1, 2, 3. It pays 6:1.
Outside Bets
- Column Bet – A bet that covers one of the three columns on the betting area. There are 12 numbers in a column. It pays 2:1.
- Dozen Bet – A bet on a group of 12 numbers. The three groups of numbers include 1-12, 13-24 and 25-36. These are known as the 1st 12, 2nd 12 and 3rd It pays 2:1.
- Red/Black Bet – A bet that covers all of the red or black numbers on the wheel. It pays 1:1.
- Even/Odd Bet – A bet that covers all of the even or odd numbers on the wheel. It pays 1:1.
- Low/High Bet – A bet that covers all of the lower or higher numbers on the wheel. The lower numbers are 1-18 and the higher numbers are 19-36. It pays 1:1.
Popular Roulette Strategies that May Increase Your Chances of Winning
Roulette is one of the most popular casino games. It is a game of chance and luck. However, many seasoned players are aware of the various betting systems that may increase a player’s chances of making a profit while playing roulette.
We have picked out three of the most popular roulette betting systems that can be used for every version of the game. To use these betting systems, you will have to place your bets on Outside bets that have an almost 50% chance of winning. The examples of these are red/black, even/odd or low/high bets.
The reason why these do not have an even chance of winning is because of the green 0 (and 00 for American Roulette). The probability of winning an even money bet for European and French Roulette is 48.65%. As for American Roulette, the probability of winning your even money bets is 47.37%. For all versions of the game, the payout for these bets is 1:1.
The Martingale Betting System
The Martingale is a negative progression roulette strategy that is arguably the most popular system worldwide. To use the Martingale strategy, you are required to double your stake after every loss. By doing so, you will reclaim all your losses after a win and also make a minimal profit. As soon as you win, you should immediately return to your initial stake and start the process again.
It is recommended to use a smaller initial stake for this strategy as it can become quite costly after a long losing streak. If you set an initial stake of €1, it is easier to cover the costs of a bad losing streak. Here is how your betting pattern will look like if you lose every round:
1 – 2 – 4 – 8 – 16 – 32 – 64 – 128 – 256 – 512 – 1024 – 2048
As you can see, a bad losing streak means you would need a large bankroll to cover the cost of continuous losing. However, if you do win, you will reclaim all your losses, plus make a profit of your initial stake (in this case, €1).
Advantages
- Easy to follow
- Reclaims all losses
Disadvantages
- Large bankroll required
- Be wary of table limits for max bets
The Reverse Martingale Betting System
The Reverse Martingale, also known as the ‘Paroli’, is a positive progressive betting system. Essentially, it is the opposite of the Martingale. It requires you to double your bet after a win. The aim of the Reverse Martingale betting system is to maximise your potential winnings if you hit a good winning streak.
There are many advantages to using the Reverse Martingale betting system. One of the advantages is that you will not need as large a bankroll to cover your bets as you are not trying to reclaim losses. Instead, you should hope to hit a winning streak and maximise your profits.
The problem with the Reverse Martingale is that you can never predict the outcome of the next round. Thus, even if you are on a good winning streak, all it takes is one loss to lose all the money you won in the previous rounds, plus your initial stake. It is slightly riskier than the Martingale as you risk losing everything, with just one unsuccessful spin.
A good strategy to use is to create an alternative method for the Reverse Martingale. One variation is to hit a winning streak of three or four successful rounds, before returning to your initial stake. Another method may be to increase your bet by 50%, rather than just doubling your stake. In both scenarios, you reduce the risk involved of losing all your profits from a single spin. However, there is no guarantee that the Reverse Martingale will bring you riches.
Advantages
- Does not require as large a bankroll
- Maximise your profits on a winning streak
Disadvantages
- One loss will lose all previous wins and your initial stake
- Potentially a riskier betting system than the Martingale
The D’Alembert Betting System
The D’Alembert betting system is a negative progression betting system. It requires players to set a stake unit and to increase it by one unit after a loss and to decrease it by a unit after a win. It is similar to the Martingale, but the stakes are increased slower, meaning it does not require as large a bankroll.
You must set an initial stake that will count as one unit. If you set an initial stake of 1, you must increase it to 2 after a loss. After two consecutive losses, you should increase it to 3. If you win, you should decrease your bet by one unit, back to 2.
Advantages
- Low negative progression system
- Systematic strategy that is easy to follow
Disadvantages
- Losses are recovered slower
- Table Max limits can nullify the system
Luck, Strategy, and Good Times
As you spin the roulette wheel, always remember that the key to enjoying the game is a mix of luck, strategy, and the excitement that comes with taking calculated risks. Embrace the thrill, learn from your experiences, and most importantly, have fun