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Find the best roulette strategies all in one place. Below we've covered some of the best roulette strategies to beat the wheel, including a run-through of the Martingale, Paroli, and D'Alembert systems. Read on to find out about the most well-known strategies, how to play roulette with them, and with a bit of luck - how to beat roulette by using them.
Choosing the Best Roulette Strategy
Deciding on a roulette strategy will depend on your style of play. Some strategies are more aggressive and will need you to put more of your bankroll on the line. Others are considered slightly 'safer' and entail betting more conservatively for smaller prizes. Before you start playing its essential to understand the rules of roulette and know that the casino will always have an edge regardless of the strategy you choose.
To find the best roulette strategy for you, take a look at our system calculator below:
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What Are the Best Roulette Strategies?
We've broken down some of the best-known roulette strategies, the rules they've inspired, and the payouts you can expect if you successfully put them into practice. Each of the strategies listed below have proven popular with land-based and online players alike.
What Is the Martingale System?
With the Martingale system, every time a player loses, they double their bet. The theory here is that when players eventually win, they recover any money they had previously lost plus a small profit. For this strategy it's important to only bet on even number wagers such as red/black, odd/even, or 0-18/19-36.
Martingale System Example
The below example shows how Martingale could work in practice. Bet values can soon add up with the Martingale strategy, and consecutive losses can (and do) happen to roulette players.
What Is the Labouchère System?
The Labouchère system increases a player's stake following a losing bet. The player sets a goal of how much they want to win, divided into a series of smaller numbers adding up to that goal. The player then adds together the numbers at the far left and far right of the sequence to determine the first bet. If the bet wins, the numbers are crossed out and the next bet uses the next two numbers on the far left and right. If the bet loses, the bet amount is added to the far-right side of the sequence.
Labouchère System Example
The example below shows how this betting system works when playing roulette. Bear in mind that the player's goal is a win of $100, and that's how this sequence has come about.
What Is the Reverse Labouchère System?
The reverse Labouchère system works by increasing the stakes following a winning bet. It works in the same way as the classic Labouchère system in that each bet is made from the sum of the first and last digits in a sequence. Following a loss, the first and last digits are removed. Following a win, the last bet played is added to the sequence. The end goal is to remove all numbers in the sequence and finish the cycle.
Reverse Labouchère System Example
Take a look at the table below to see how Reverse Labouchere works in practice. It's a more conservative option than traditional Labouchere and is well worth a go if you're looking for a new strategy.
The 3 2 system works as two separate bets: an outside and a column. The idea here is to cover multiple sections to even out the risk of losing. It doesn't matter which outside or column bet that players choose, as long as both are wagered on.
Option 1
Players bets three units on red and two units on column two.
Option 2
Players bets three units on black and two units on column 3.
If you choose option one, your total sum bet would look like this:
3 2 System Example
The scenario below shows how the 3 2 system could be problematic in practice. As the profits from wins aren't very generous when playing this strategy, players need to win a considerable number of times to make it worthwhile.
Factors Which May Affect Your Roulette Strategy
Minimum and Maximum Bets
All casinos, whether they are land-based or online, have minimum and maximum bets on their roulette games. And as you might expect, these can make or break a roulette strategy.
You'll often find that a minimum bet is in the region of $10, whilst a maximum bet will be around $60,000, but these vary from casino to casino. If, for example, you're using Martingale, you can come a cropper if you're unlucky enough to reach the maximum bet limit without recouping your previous losses.
Game Type
There are several different variations of the game of roulette, and with each one the house edge is slightly different. These subtle differences can affect roulette strategies.
For example, if you're using a strategy such as Andrucci, you'll be looking to pick out which numbers come up the most. So, you'll need to be aware of the fact that in some variations of roulette, such as American, there are additional numbers (an extra 00).
Payout Amounts
When using any roulette strategy, you need to be aware of the payout amounts you can expect for any given bet. In roulette, this isn't as simple as it might seem.
For example, in roulette variations which have 37 numbers, the payout remains 35:1. Likewise, payout amounts for specific bets like a five number bet have standardized payouts (in this case it's 6:1 - which makes it a poor bet indeed).
What is the safest bet in roulette?
The safest bets in roulette are even-money wagers. Bets on red/black, odd/even, or 1-18/19-36 all have odds of 1:1 and will pay out the same money as the stake. Most well-known roulette strategies focus on even-money wagers for this reason. The only downside to even odds are that they offer the lowest payout on the roulette table and are a little less exciting.
The Worst Roulette Strategies
There are two main roulette strategies to avoid: studying for patterns, and the 666 strategy.
Studying for Patterns
Looking for patterns in roulette is useless as all online casinos use random number generators (RNGs). This means that the outcome of each spin can never be worked out as there is no mathematical formula in place. The best roulette systems will never guide players to study for patterns in the game.
The 666 System
The 666 strategy is an aggressive system which works by betting on as many numbers as you can at once. The theory here is that the more numbers you bet on, the more chance of a profit there is. The reason it is called the '666 strategy' is because all number on the roulette wheel (1-26, 0, and 00) all add up to 666. The average outcome is usually a loss with the 666 strategy.
How to Win at Roulette
Before you start playing, here's some our best advice for how to win more at roulette:
Set yourself a betting limit before you playOnly choose the most reputable roulette sites to bet atDecide on a roulette betting strategy from the list aboveTest the strategy out in free-play mode before wagering real moneyNever look for patterns in the winning numbersWinning at roulette can be done with a combination of practising and having a lucky day. Strategies are more about minimising your losses, than improving your ability to win. The numbers are always random, but if you know the rules and odds in detail you will have an advantage. To try out strategies and learn the rules, we recommend playing plenty of rounds of free roulette before betting real money.
No, players can't learn how to win on every spin. Roulette is game of luck and the house always has an edge. Knowing roulette odds and playing a roulette strategy will help players make the most informed bets, but every spin can't always guarantee a win.
Although roulette is a game of chance, you can win big money by playing high-risk, single number bets which pay out better than group or combination bets. Single pockets pay out 35/1 for example, so you can get a decent prize if your single number comes up as the winner. Winning big of course only applies if you're playing real money online roulette, or playing a live dealer game.
In theory yes, though doubling up after a loss doesn't always guarantee players will win more. Should the player win using the Martingale system, the bet will cover previous losses as well as eturn a small profit. This win can never be guaranteed though.
There are many software programs that claim to be able to determine the best bet, but it is impossible to do anything but figure the odds of a ball hitting a particular number. There is no way for a program to know where the ball will go - whatever you do, don't spend money on any software like this!
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