Roulette Strategies: Top Tips for Beating the House
While mathematically roulette doesn't offer players the greatest odds of beating the house, it continues to be a real crowd-pleaser. This may be in no small part due to Hollywood heartthrobs Sean Connery and Humphry Bogart, who propelled the game into pop culture - whilst starring in Diamonds Are Forever and Casablanca, respectively.
Classed as a table game, much like blackjack and poker, roulette doesn't necessarily command the same skill levels as other casino staples. Its total randomness is part of its widespread appeal and makes each spin as much of a thrill as the last. Whilst skills and knowledge may have little impact on the fall of the ball, that doesn't mean players cannot influence their playing experience.
To help you increase your chances of winning, here we will run through some of the most popular roulette strategies.
Go for the Outside
Though you won't be a hero for winning on the outside, it's a highly pragmatic roulette strategy. Whilst inside bets offer odds of a single number hitting once every 38 spins (37 on a European wheel with one zero), outside bets are designed to hit one in every two spins - on average.
Of course, given the likelihood of red or black coming up is far greater than a single number, the payouts are far less lucrative. Even so, if you're after a long evening of casino thrills, then we recommend focusing your efforts on these outside bets.
Go European
As alluded to previously, European wheels differ from their American counterparts in that they have just one zero. Although this may seem a minor detail, it only takes a slight edge to really tip things in favour of the house.
Whilst the house advantage on a European style wheel stands at 2.7%, this jumps to 5.3% on an American wheel. For us, as far as roulette strategies go, this one is a no brainer.
Column Betting
Synonymous with outside betting, column betting is a roulette strategy which requires players to place their bets on either red vs black, even vs odd or high vs low. In essence, you're placing a bet on the ball landing on a number found in one of the tables three columns.
Manage your Bankroll
Sometimes there can be a temptation to go big, especially when things aren't going your way. As with the rest of our advice, we suggest taking your time and trusting the odds.
Whilst they may not make big returns, the odds of betting smaller on the outside will eventually come into your favour - you just need to hang in there long enough, which you can't do if you burn through your cash early on. Stay patient and have faith in the roulette strategies outlined above.
Try for Free
The biggest advantage of playing online, is the ability to play a free version of the game. This is ideal for trying out new strategies and seeing if they suit the way you want to play.