Roulette is one of the oldest games of chance, dating back hundreds of years. While the game seems to be based on pure randomness, there are some strategies and tricks you can use to maximize your gains and minimize your losses. The nature of the game is such that it is impossible to make a certain profit, but this article will describe methods for minimizing losses.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Maximizing Profits
Step 1. Observe a few spins of roulette before you start playing
If you are playing at the casino, this step will help you figure out if the game is not entirely random. Some wheels for example have a tendency to bring out odd numbers more often. Also look at the electronic scoreboard above the roulette wheel.
See if the casino employees are spinning the roulette wheel. The croupier may have spun the roulette wheel so long that it always rotates with the same force, favoring the exit of some numbers
Step 2. Try playing at a free table before placing any money
This will help you learn about the game, increase your confidence and understand what works and what doesn't. You will also be able to talk to the dealer, think about how much you would like to bet and study the strategies of the other players for a few moments.
Step 3. Play European Roulette, not American Roulette
American roulette has an extra number, the "00", which slightly reduces the odds of winning. If you have both options, choose European Roulette to increase the odds of winning.
The house edge on a European wheel is 2.63%. For the American wheel it is double
Step 4. If you are playing online roulette, be careful
The last thing you want to do is give money to scammers. Make sure the site is trustworthy, associated with a reputable casino and always, always, always posting winnings. There are too many untrustworthy sites to risk it.
Also make sure the site uses a random number generator. There are sites that alter the computer system to the detriment of players. If you can check the integrity of the system, do it
Part 2 of 3: Minimize Losses
Step 1. Learn how much to bet
When you want to play roulette or any other gambling game, you should only wager amounts that you know you can afford to lose. Things can get out of hand quickly, especially with such a fast paced game.
Once you have decided how much money you are willing to lose, do not exceed that amount for any reason. While this will be easier said than done, here are some tips to control temptation: Limit the amount of alcohol you drink, write the amount down on a piece of paper to feel more responsible, and ask a friend to keep an eye on you
Step 2. Withdraw the profits you make
If you start by wagering € 100 and end the session with € 150, you should withdraw your profit (€ 50) and keep it separate from the rest of the money. Keep playing with the same € 100, and in this way you will have reduced the minimum loss to € 50. The more money you win and withdraw, the more likely it is to break even, or even make a profit.
Step 3. Play only the outside of the board
No doubt the profits will be lower, but if you just bet on "red or black, high or low, even or odd", you will have a much higher chance of not losing your money. The payout is only 1: 1, but the odds are much higher.
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The house edge remains the same, but your odds of winning are only slightly below 50% (due to the presence of 0 and 00). Of course, the fewer numbers you bet on, the lower the odds of winning; the house edge on the numbers 00-0-1-2-3 (top five) is however the worst for the player (a value of 7.89%).
Therefore, never bet 5 numbers
- Two combined outside bets are also a good strategy. Red and odd, for example: this way you will cover most of the numbers and some will be covered twice.
Part 3 of 3: Betting Strategies
Step 1. Aim for doubling down
If you bet red or black or even and odd, try the following strategy: every time you lose, double the amount you bet the first time and bet on the same color until you win. This is called Martingale strategy.
- Let's say for example that you bet € 5 on red and black came out. In the following betting round, bet € 10 on red so that you can get your money back and make a profit. If black comes out again, double your bet again, betting € 20 on red. Keep doing this until a red number comes up (it will inevitably happen, sooner or later), to recover your losses and gain something.
- Start by betting the minimum amount allowed by the table. Remember that on some tables there is a maximum bet, which means that you may reach the maximum allowed before winning.
- This strategy requires you to have enough cash to be able to double your bet every time.
Step 2. Try the Grand Martingale strategy
This betting system is the same as the Martingale strategy, but instead of simply doubling the bet, an additional unit is also added. The unit is the starting bet.
Step 3. Use the James Bond strategy
This system involves betting € 200 total, distributed as follows: € 140 on high numbers (19-36), € 50 on six numbers (13-18) and € 10 on zero. The odds of winning will be greater due to the distribution of the bets.
- If the drawn number is between 19 or 36, you will make a profit of € 80; if it is between 13 and 18, you will make a profit of € 100; if 0 is rolled, you will make a profit of 160 €.
- You will only lose if a number between 1 and 12 comes up, with a net loss of € 200. In this case you will be able to employ the Martingale strategy for losses.
Step 4. Pay attention to the "en prison" rule
This rule is generally only applied to European roulettes (and even then, not always). It is a rule that reduces the house edge to 1.35% on even bets. Here's how it works:
Let's say you bet on black. If the ball lands on 0, the dealer will hold your € 10 and proceed to another draw. If the drawn number is black, you will get your € 10 back. You won't win anything, but you won't lose
Advice
- In American roulette there is a house edge of 5.6%. If you are looking for a guaranteed strong payout, you may prefer a game that is not so strictly based on chance and where the house does not have such a large advantage.
- Watch out for the swinging wheels. Move to a spot where you can see a strong reflection on the wheel. If the wheel swings, the reflection will deform. This can greatly affect the trajectory of the ball.
- Always play responsibly. Don't bet never more money than you can afford to lose.
- Learn to recognize the wheels that favor numbers. You may find wheels that favor certain areas (have imperfections that cause the ball to fall more often in one place than the other), inclined wheels (the stronger the inclination, the greater the uneven distribution of probability), separators that are higher or that decelerate in some points.
- Look for warped ball paths. If the path is deformed, whichever ball is used, you will find that it hops in the same place on the wheel. By listening to the flickering and noting where it occurs, you can identify where the ball is most likely to land.
- Look for the spots where the ball most commonly lands on your wheel. This means that the ball regularly lands in a certain sector of the wheel. To notice this, all you can do is observe the roulette wheel for a certain period of time.
- Look for low-quality or warped balls. If a ball is deformed, you will feel it shake in different parts of the wheel. If the ball is always shaking in the same places on the wheel, it is probably the track that has deformations.
