Roulette is one of the most popular casino games and since its debut on the global gambling scene, it has been attracting more and more players. Although roulette is predominantly regarded as a game of chance, there are players who have devoted a lot of time and efforts into developing an effective strategy for beating the roulette wheel by applying foolproof systems.
The main goal of every roulette system is the keep the casino advantage to the minimum while enabling the player to rely predominantly on their skills rather than on luck.
Hundreds of “winning” roulette strategies have been developed but below, you will find those that for one reason or another stand out from the rest. The objective of this article is to present useful information related to the game of roulette and everything a player needs to know for betting and winning.
In fact, every player is trying to apply a system that enables them to have fun without being overwhelmed by complicated tactics, and get a solid payout at the same time. However, before you decide which one to apply, you have to determine the budget you are willing to invest in your roulette game. Systems that require you to make frequent or more significant bets are, therefore, appropriate for players who are risk-takers and like to bet big and win big.
Is There a Roulette System That Really Works?
Each and every roulette system is intended to enhance your gambling experience no matter if you apply it at a land-based casino or online. There is not a correct answer to the question related to the best roulette system. As mentioned earlier, roulette is a game based on luck, so even if you apply a mind-blowing strategy, you might not be able to win any big money and vice versa. All too often, players got pleasant surprises from Lady Luck and complete their roulette session with life-changing winnings.
Actually, players beat roulette every day but yet, it remains among the most profitable games for casinos since the percentage of players who win is smaller than those who lose. That is why casinos try to keep the information confidential about the players who win and those who lose.
The main objective of every land-based casino is to detect the professional players before they earn too much. There are also casinos that attempt at making the process of winning more complicated by performing fewer spins of the wheel. Sometimes, the dealer can also call “No more bets” earlier than expected. However, these methods are not too beneficial as fewer spins result is smaller casino revenue.
As far as the roulette strategies are concerned, there is plenty of information about each one of them but no one can provide you with a roulette system that guarantees you great winnings every time you use it.
Admittedly, if the roulette wheel was so easy to beat, the casino industry would not tolerate it. Yet, the usage of a roulette strategy enhances your chances of winning. It might not give you a 100% probability of winning but it does make it possible to leave the casino premises much richer.
Online or Offline Play
The gripping atmosphere at the casino floor at a land-based casino is beyond a shadow of a doubt, one of the factors that make players keep visiting brick and mortar properties. However, there are some pretty good reasons why online playing is not worse than at a live table.
If you are a newbie in the game of roulette, your best bet is to start learning online. Apart from having more time to understand the game basics, you can also play a fun-mode game, which guarantees you will not lose any money before you work out the perfect roulette strategy.
You will not find many land-based casinos that allow you to take notes or use any tools while playing. That is why you are advised to start learning a certain system online before you apply it to a traditional casino.
Playing roulette in a digital format provides you with even more benefits. First of all, you will be able to practice the system you have learned. Second, the most prestigious online casinos ensure generous welcome bonuses and some of them even allow you to play a demo version of the game for a while.
American vs. European Roulette
The main difference between European and American roulette is that the European variation does not have a 00 hole, which means the casino edge is higher as compared to the American roulette where there is a 00 hole to increase your chances of winning.
If you play American roulette and the ball lands at 0, you will lose your stakes. In comparison, if the ball lands at 0 when you play European roulette, your stakes will be “imprisoned”. In other words, you have the chance to get your money back provided that the ball stops in your favour. If the position of the ball is not favourable, you will get half of your bet returned, which is basically a win-win situation.
Roulette Strategies
Although there is a great number of roulette strategies, in general, they can be categorized into two large groups. The first group includes strategies based on a progression that is determined once the outcome of the last spin is revealed. In other words, the bet changes in accordance with the result of the last spin.
As for the second group, it does not include any change of the bet. They remain the same no matter if the last spin was a winning or losing one.
Progression Strategy
The roulette systems based on progression can also be categorized. The first category includes systems that require you to double your bet after a loss. The other category includes systems that require the player to double after a win. Whenever a loss is registered the bet is not increased.
No Progression Strategy
The positive or negative progression systems have their opponents and proponents but there are also systems that do not feature a progression. Therefore, the bet remains flat no matter if you have a winning or a losing streak. One of the most vivid examples is the Masse Egale system that requires the player to bet as many times as necessary until winnings are registered.
The Most Popular Roulette Systems
Martingale
The Martingale betting system requires the player to double the amount of the bet once a loss is registered. The system is defined as straightforward, which makes it a preferred roulette system by newbies. However, experienced players regard the Martingale system as a risky one.
The Martingale system is one of the oldest systems ever invented. At first, it was considered an appropriate system for games where the player was required to guess whether the coin is about to land on the heads or tails.
If the player makes a correct prediction, they are not supposed to increase their bet. In an event of a loss, the player needs to double the bet. Therefore, if the next guess is correct, they will take back their money and even turn a profit.
Although the tactics definitely make sense, it is risky. Basically, you can lose an infinite number of times and if you are persistent enough, you eventually hit a winning streak and what you have lost back. Presumably, the Martingale is quite unsuitable for players who have a tight budget.
Obviously, Martingale is a system that has a negative expected value. It is not suitable for a long-term play as the player will definitely lose a certain amount of money over time. No matter if the player wins ten times in a row, the chance to have a losing streak is also pretty high in a long shot.
The variance also plays an important role in the successful application of the Martingale system. Basically, no one can determine what the outcome of the next spin will be. The player can either win or lose.
Let’s presume that the first bet you place is $10. You place 10 on red and lose. Then, according to the Martingale system, you have to double your bet, so the second one is $20 on red. You lose again and therefore, the third bet should be $40. This time you win and if you do the math, you will see that you have a $10 profit. If you want to continue playing, you should start all over and place a bet of $10.
It seems like the Martingale is pretty easy to use but you should keep track of your spendings and earnings.
Paroli
In comparison, the Paroli betting system works the opposite way. The player has to double the bet when winnings are registered. The chance of having a winning streak is higher, which means that Paroli is considered safer than the Martingale. The main advantage of Paroli is that you can win a decent payout without endangering the stability of your bankroll. In addition, it is considered appropriate to use in a long- term play.
As mentioned above, the Paroli is the opposite of Martingale. The player is required to double the bet after winnings are registered. At first glance, it does not look like you are going to affect your bankroll in a negative manner. After all, you will use the bank’s money in order to increase your bets.
However, if you give it a second thought, you will see that the Paroli system is not that easy to use. Paroli is safer than Martingale, no doubt about that, but it would be premature to say that every time you apply it, you will complete your roulette session with a solid payout.
Don’t forget that you have to set your own limit. Before you start playing, you have to determine how many spins you are going to make and eventually collect your winnings when you reach your limit. The more progressions you take part in, the more likely you are to win, especially if you hit a winning streak. In such a case, the number of chips will tremendously increase in no time.
Let’s presume that you bet one chip on black and you win. Expectedly, your second bet should be doubled. If you win again, you are required to bet four chips. In case you win once again, your next bet should include 8 chips. In theory, you can keep betting for as long as you win or until you reach the limit you have set.
If you are not so lucky and you lose in-between, your bankroll will not be damaged as you wagered chips that belonged to the bank anyway. Plus, you can easily compensate for your losses once you hit a winning streak.
Many players wonder whether the Paroli system is appropriate for long-term play. Admittedly, it is more suitable than the Martingale but if you intend to use it in a long term, you will most probably experience small frequent losses that are easily compensated when you have several winning spins. It all comes to balancing your winnings and losses. Although in the long term you are not going to make a huge profit, you will not lose a lot of money, too.
Parlay
The Parlay system falls under the category of the positive progression betting systems and as such it requires the player to double the bet when winnings are registered and keep wagering the same amount when they experience losses. The Parlay and the Paroli are quite similar, which therefore means that if you decide to apply Parlay, you will not risk large sums of your bankroll. Once again, it is essential to set a betting limit and cash out your winnings when you reach it. The Parlay allows you to set your own winning goals and complete them by applying the system.
Apart from a betting limit and winning goal, you should also determine the amount of your initial bet.
Let’s presume you decide to make a bet of $10 and you want to make your $10 increase to $240. Once you achieve that, you stop wagering. So, you bet $10 on red but the ball lands on a black number and you lose your $10. However, you place another $10 on red and you win. This, therefore, requires you to make another bet amounting to $20. Unfortunately, you lose and you have to start over and place a bet amounting to $10. This time you win and you have to double your bet once again. If you win again, your payout should be $40.
You can bet your $40 on 1 Dozen and if you win, you get $120. You are halfway through your predetermined goal of $240. So, the best thing you can do in such a situation is to bet your $120 on Even. If you win, your sequence is over and you can start the system again and place your initial bet.
During your gameplay, you have to be prepared to experience small, frequent losses that can easily be compensated once you have a winning streak.
D’Alembert
Up to now, we have discussed roulette systems featuring positive or negative progressions. Yet, there is another category – namely roulette betting systems featuring flat progression. D’Alembert is a vivid example of a flat betting system. It is also called the Pyramid system or the Cancellation system. It was established back in the 18 century and according to it, a player can accumulate solid winnings in a long term provided that they decrease their bet by 1 after a win and increase it by 1 after a loss.
In other words, if you make a bet of $20 and you lose, you will be supposed to place a second bet amounting to $40. If you lose again, your next bet should be $60. You can also apply the opposite strategy. You can increase your bet when you win and decrease it when you lose. You have probably already noticed that D’Alembert does not require you to place your initial bet after a loss.
The system is preferred because of its simplicity and small variance. However, your bets can still get too high.
The system undoubtedly requires excellent concentration and discipline but don’t forget that apart from winning money, you also visit casino premises in order to have fun.
Masse Egale
Masse Egale is yet another roulette betting system that features neither positive nor negative progression. Every bet you place is the same, regardless of the outcome of the spin. It is important to note that Masse Egale can be effectively applied for inside bets only.
Before you start playing roulette, you have to select one number and bet on it until you win. You can continue to do that for as long as you wish. However, before you start playing you should be familiar with the fact that during your gameplay, you will experience a number of losing streaks followed by a number of winning streaks and vice versa.
Another essential detail is that Masse Egale is not the most suitable system when it comes to a long-term play. The system is applied mainly for playing the internal fields.
Kesselgucken
Translated into English, Kesselgucken means “to observe the roulette wheel”. The system is not based on any complicated mathematical estimates. Your objection is to give a correct prediction as to where the ball would land. The latter is not an easy task given the factors you have to take into account. You need to figure out the speed of the roulette wheel and the starting position of the ball. According to a popular belief, there is no way to influence the outcome of the spin but sometimes, small rhombus shapes placed on the wheel have an impact on the end result.
If you intend to use Kesselgucken, you have to be prepared to act quickly. For the best results, you are advised to place your bet as late as possible. This will make it easier for you to “observe the wheel” and make the right decision.
Players who prefer the Kesselgucken are recommended to try playing the “French bets”. The latter types of bets intend to cover a particular section of a roulette wheel. In brief, you pick up several numbers that are next to one another and place bets on them.
Oscar’s Grind
Oscar’s Grind is a roulette betting system that is also known as the “up-as-you-win” system. If you want to apply it, you are supposed to bet flat when you lose and double your bet when you win. Oscar’s Grind makes it impossible to bet more than you need in order to compensate for the losses you have previously experienced.
Let’s presume that you bet on red and you experience three losses in a row followed by two wins, a loss, and another win. If you keep track of your winnings and losses, you will see that in the long-term the system is not suitable as it will bring you more losses than winnings.
Shotwell System
The first records for the Shotwell system date back to the 1980s. It has gained considerable popularity due to the wise strategy it features. The objective of the Shotwell System is to cover particular numbers distributed in no more than 5 units. Let’s presume you bet one chip on the 6 number combo 1 through 6. you also place one chip on 20, 26, 8 and 10. So, it does not matter where the ball would land, the worst scenario is to be 3 pockets away from a number you have wagered on.
Betting on a Biased Wheel
There is no roulette wheel that is absolutely perfect. On the contrary – they have negligibly small imperfections that made players call them “biased wheels”. These imperfections can affect the outcome of the spin. However, casinos closely monitor the winnings on every roulette spin and quickly figure out which the biased wheels are. Therefore, your chances of coming across a biased wheel are too slim.
