Roulette Strategy – Master the Basic Tips and Strategies
9 minutes
Last Updated: September 26, 2023
Roulette is one of the most widespread games in online and live casinos these days, and there are many different approaches and roulette strategies you can apply to the game.
If you are new to the game and don’t yet know how to play, make sure to check out my guide to the rules of roulette, where I teach you the most elementary parts of the game.
Once you are comfortable with the different betting options and the rules of the game, it’s time to learn some roulette strategy and how to win at roulette more often.
I am going to teach you some common roulette strategies used by experienced players, as well as give you some tips and pointers that will help you do better at the tables.
Beating the House: How Roulette Strategy Works
When I talk about roulette strategy, it is important to point out that there is no strategy or approach to this game that guarantees success.
In fact, regardless of which strategy you use at the tables, the house edge will always remain the same, as it is an inherent part of the game.
Yet, there are many different ways you can bet in roulette, and your betting patterns will greatly impact your variance, as well as your probability of a win on any given night.
For the most part, any roulette strategy has to do with how you increase and decrease your bets during winning and losing streaks and which groups of numbers you bet on.
But, before I proceed to talk about a few popular betting strategies for roulette, there are some great general tips I can give you that will improve your success and extend your playing time at the tables.
These are the top seven roulette tips you should use the next time you play:
1. Choose the Best Roulette Table
The best thing you can do to improve your winning odds at roulette is to play at the right roulette table. This may seem a bit odd, but it's very true.
Traditional European Blackjack wheels have a total of 37 numbers, which gives the house an edge of 2.70%. American Roulette, on the other hand, has 38 numbers and gives the house an edge of 5.36%.
Simply choosing European over American Roulette every time will make you a ton of money in the long run.
If you intend on betting on red/black or odd/even, playing French Roulette will be even better for you, as the house edge on these bets goes down even further.
Online casinos offer many different roulette games, so you can take your pick. In live casinos, you should never play roulette if American Roulette is the only option available.
2. Use Ratio Instead of Emotion
It can be easy to get carried away when playing roulette and start making emotional bets that don’t really make any sense.
For example, I have seen players make huge bets after several losing bets, believing they are due for a win and that they can’t lose yet again.
In reality, every spin of roulette is a completely separate event, and previous spins don't really have anything to do with future ones.
Always make reasonable bets that make sense for your bankroll and try to build up a profit steadily instead of going wild on a single spin you believe will go in your favor.
3. Hedge Your Bets
It can be tempting to bet on a single number in the hopes of it landing, but the truth is that it's really hard to get the exact number, and straight-up bets are very unlikely to win you money.
For that reason, most experienced roulette players use a roulette strategy that involves some outside betting or at least a number of connected numbers, such as Zero Game or Orphelins.
By making bets on multiple numbers, you can hedge your bets and minimize your chances of losing while also limiting your winning potential on any given spin.
4. Know Your Limits
Roulette is a game that can get out of hand very quickly if you are not careful about your bet sizes and your gambling habits.
You should be very careful not to overextend yourself and not to make bets you can’t realistically afford with the money you have for the game.
This can lead to borrowing or using money not intended for gambling at the tables, all of which should be avoided at all times.
Think of the amount you are willing to lose before you start playing, as well as the amount you are happy with winning, and quit if you hit either benchmark.
5. Have a Reasonable Bankroll
Regardless of the roulette strategy you apply, you can’t win from the first spin you play at a roulette table, so you should make sure you have enough money to work with.
Losing streaks are very common in roulette, and the fewer numbers you bet on, the longer they can be.
Make sure you are prepared for a losing streak before you sit down at the table and adjust your bet size to the bankroll you have at your disposal.
6. Explore Different Betting Options
Many roulette players get stuck with playing the same set of numbers or the same betting system their whole life, but this can take the excitement right out of the game.
Instead, I highly recommend trying different approaches and playing roulette differently every time you sit down.
By playing different roulette strategies and approaches, you will always have a new way to enjoy the game while still maintaining the same RTP and the same house edge at all times.
7. Try Progressive Betting Systems
When it comes to roulette strategies, most calculated and reasonable ones have to do with betting progressions.
Systems like Martingale, Paroli, and D’Alembert all have to do with increasing and decreasing your bets each time you win or lose, and they tend to work quite well.
Of course, there is no foolproof way to beat roulette using a particular strategy, but the betting progressions I am about to explain could just work well for you and make playing roulette very fun and quite lucrative on many nights.
Roulette Betting Systems – Roulette Strategy That Works?
Progressive betting systems are all founded in mathematics and offer a premade set of rules that pertain to your bet sizes. You can use these in land-based casinos, at electronic tables, or online live dealer games.
Each time you win or lose, these roulette strategies instruct that you increase or decrease your next bet in order to get arrive at a win in the end.
Let’s start with the most popular betting progression system, the Martingale roulette strategy.
The Martingale System
The Martingale system is the most popular of all roulette strategies and is one that’s often used in other forms of gambling as well.
The Martingale requires that you bet on an even money bet, such as red/black or odd/even. You will decide on your starting betting unit, which could bet $1, $10, $100, or anything else you want it to be.
If you make your first Martingale bet on red and lose, you will simply make another bet on red the next spin, doubling the bet.
Once again, if you end up losing, you will double the bet on the next spin. You will keep doing this until you eventually land a win.
Once a winning spin does come, you will win exactly one starting unit, regardless of how many spins it took for you to land that win.
Here is a quick example of how it might look:
- 1st Spin – Bet $10 and Lose
- 2nd Spin – Bet $20 and Lose
- 3rd Spin – Bet $40 and Lose
- 4th Spin – Bet $80 and Win $160
The total bets made are $10 + $20 + $40 + $80 = $150. Your total win is $160, for a profit of $10, exactly one initial betting unit.
With the Martingale roulette strategy, you should make sure that the table limit will sustain your progressive betting, as well as that you have a bankroll at your disposal that allows you to keep betting during losing streaks.
Keep in mind that every new spin requires you to double your bet, so starting with even a $10 bet can quickly lead you to bet $1,000 or more just to win $10, which can deter some players from this system.
Paroli Roulette Strategy
The very opposite of the Martingale system is the Paroli system, a betting progression that requires you to keep the bet at the same level while losing but asks that you increase it while winning.
The Paroli is an open roulette strategy, which means there is no limit and no time when you must stop. Instead, you can keep upping your bets while winning as long as you want.
Here is a quick example of how Paroli can work:
- 1st Spin – Bet $10 and Lose
- 2nd Spin – Bet $10 and Lose
- 3rd Spin – Bet $10 and Win $20
- 4th Spin – Bet $20 and Win $40
- 5th Spin – Bet $40 and Win $80
- 6th Spin – Bet $80 and Win $160
In just four consecutive winning spins, you have won $160. You can keep going to make $320 or $640 if you want, or simply walk away from the table. Alternatively, you can go back to your initial $10 bet as well.
The Paroli roulette strategy works by making full use of the winning streaks in the game while minimizing the losses during the losing stretches you may encounter.
D’Alembert Roulette Strategy
The D’Alembert betting strategy is another interesting roulette betting system that is similar to Martingale but a bit less risky.
Instead of doubling the bet each time you lose and going back to basics when you win, D’Alembert works as a balance between Martingale and Paroli, splitting the difference and still making a profit in the long run.
Here is how a betting progression can look with the D’Alembert roulette strategy:
- 1st Spin – Bet $10 and Lose
- 2nd Spin – Bet $20 and Lose
- 3rd Spin – Bet $30 and Lose
- 4th Spin – Bet $40 and Win $80
- 5th Spin – Bet $30 and Win $60
In total, your bets amount to $10 + $20 + $30 + $40 + $30 = $130. Your wins equal $80 + $60 = $140, for a final tally of +$10.
You can see that the final result is the same as with Martingale, but the risk is much lower. However, you did have to win twice instead of once to get your $10 profit.
You can experiment with these and other roulette strategies the next time you play and decide for yourself which betting progression most appeals to you.
Are Roulette Strategies Really Worth It?
Since I have already explained that no roulette strategy can actually reduce the house edge in the game, you may be wondering if roulette strategies even make any sense.
The answer is yes because playing the game without any plan or strategy is a recipe for disaster. At the very minimum, you should always have a good strategy relating to your bankroll and make sure to take advantage of any casino bonuses along the way.
Using roulette betting progression is one way to approach the game, while those who want to take bigger risks sometimes play the game by simply chasing a few lucky numbers over and over again.
Whichever approach you decide to take, always remember to keep a cool head, play the game only as long as you are having fun, and never get out of your comfort zone in terms of bet sizes and the risks you are taking.
