However, it’s also a game of chance. Whether online or offline, live or virtual, you can’t strategize a game of Roulette. What you can do is plan your bets. That’s what Roulette betting systems, commonly (and falsely) known as strategies, are for.
When it comes to online Roulette, you can also choose a legitimate casino. That’s a must, because you can’t have a successful game of Roulette (or any game) at a rogue casino.
Online Roulette Winning Tips
The crucial winning tip is to choose the right casino. A good casino has an extensive game library, high levels of security and fairness, and player-friendly payment terms.
When you find a casino that interests you, you should carefully review it before you make a real money account. You can consult trustworthy watchdog portals and check how it rates among other players. Casinos with questionable (or even rogue) business practices often have many unresolved complaints. They usually regard voided winnings, stalled withdrawals, and overall shady payment terms.
Next, you should inquire about the casino’s security and fairness standards. Good casinos generally use encryption to protect their players from security breaches. As for fairness, they usually use a random number generator for virtual games and testing agency services for live dealer games.
Lastly, good casinos have favorable payment terms. They offer legitimate payment options and don’t make you wait for days to collect your winnings.
Roulette Variants
You can choose among three variants whether you play Roulette online or offline. They’re similar in terms of the rules but have different house edge percentages.
The American variant involves a wheel with a zero and a double zero slot. As you know, when the ball lands in one of the two pockets, the house wins. Hence, American Roulette has a house edge of 5.26%.
The European wheel only has a single zero slot. That’s why the European variant has a lower house edge than the American one — 2.70%.
Finally, there’s French Roulette. It involves the same wheel as the European variant, but it also involves two player-friendly rules — “La Partage” and “En Prison.” The “La Partage” rule suggests that a player recovers half of their even-money bet (red/black, odd/even, or high/low) if the ball lands on zero. According to the “En Prison” rule, a player has the right to “imprison” their bet and reclaim it if they win the following spin. Thanks to these two rules, French Roulette has the lowest house edge out of the three variants — 1.35%.
Roulette Bets
Roulette doesn’t call for any skills, unlike poker, a strategy game. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t need any knowledge before loading the game. You should study the bet odds and payout rates so that you know how to play. Additionally, you can’t use any betting system unless you’re familiar with odds and payouts.
Inside Bets
Inside bets have lower odds because they cover single numbers or small layout sections. That’s also why they have higher payout rates. In the following table, you can see the inside bets and how you can place them.
| Straight | Covers one number. |
| Split | Covers two bordering numbers. To make this bet, place a chip on the line dividing them. |
| Street | Covers three sequential numbers on one line. Placing a chip in its outer corner counts as a street bet. |
| Six-Line | Covers six numbers. By placing a chip in the outer corner shared by six bordering numbers, you’ve made a six-line bet. |
| Corner | Covers four numbers that form a square. Placing a chip on the intersection of two lines counts as a corner bet. |
| Trio | Includes a zero (or a double zero) and two other numbers. |
| Basket | Covers numbers zero through three. Placing a chip in the corner shared by the zero box and the one box counts as a basket bet. |
Outside Bets
As for outside bets, there are two groups — those that pay 1:1 and those that pay 2:1. They have lower payout rates because they cover almost a half or a third of the wheel. However, you’re more likely to win an outside bet than an inside bet.
Even-money bets pay 1:1 and include red vs. black, high (numbers 19 through 36) vs. low (numbers one through 18), and odd vs. even.
Outside bets that pay 2:1 include dozens and columns. The first column includes the following numbers: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, and 34. The second column includes the following numbers: 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, and 35. Finally, the third column includes the rest 12 numbers (zero is excluded).
Announced Bets
Announced bets are available only in European and French Roulette. Such bets have to be announced to the croupier, which is how they got the name. The term “called bets” is sometimes used to describe announced bets. However, there’s one important difference between the two. When you place an announced bet, you have to place chips on the table. Called bets, on the other hand, are only verbally placed. Casinos are usually either prohibitory or hesitant about called bets because they’re regarded as gambling on credit.
Announced bets have French names, which comes as no surprise, given the origin of Roulette. Namely, the game dates back to 18th century France and means “little wheel.”
Voisins du Zéro (Neighbors of Zero) covers zero, nine numbers to the left of the zero slot (22 through 26), and seven numbers to its right (32 through 25).
Jeu Zéro (the Zero Game) bet covers zero and six more numbers. Thus, it covers numbers 12 through 15 on the wheel.
Le Tiers du Cylindre (a Third of the Wheel) covers one-third of the wheel (hence the name). It covers numbers 27 through 33 on the wheel.
Orphelins (Orphans) covers two sections of numbers uncovered by the previous bets. Those numbers are 17 through six and one through nine on the wheel.
Online Roulette Strategies
As you already know, Roulette is a game of luck. That means that the element of chance in it is quite strong. In fact, it may be stronger than in any other game. You can place an even-money bet in French Roulette and lose it. Similarly, you can bet on a single number in American Roulette and win.
That being said, there are betting systems that may enhance your chances if you use them wisely. They don’t do wonders, however. They’re not strategies, although that term is widely used for them. Unlike poker, Roulette isn’t a strategy game.
The Martingale Betting System
This is a progressive betting system. It suggests that you should double your bet until you win. For instance, you place one unit on red, and the ball lands on black. According to the Martingale betting system, you should bet on red again but wager two units instead of one.
This system is grounded on the belief that probabilities can’t be against you forever. However, they can. Spins are independent of one another, so the ball can keep landing on black indefinitely.
If you want to use this betting system, you should find a Roulette table with a low minimum and a high maximum bet limit. More importantly, you need to have a large bankroll. The Martingale betting system can easily turn against you, and you can end up on a long losing streak.
The Reverse Martingale Betting System
According to this betting system, you should increase your bet in size after every win and decrease it after each loss. Thus, it works like the Martingale system, only in reverse (hence the name). It also requires finding a table with a low minimum bet limit and a high maximum bet limit.
It may seem like an improved version of the Martingale betting system, but it has its flaws. Let’s say you’re on a long winning streak. The hype can get you carried away and lose a large amount of money if you lose only one bet.
This system may work if you can discipline yourself. Namely, you should end the game while you’re on a roll. However, that takes some willpower.
The D’Alembert Betting System
This betting system is somewhat similar to the previous two ones. However, it’s much safer. The initial condition remains the same — you should find a Roulette table with a small minimum bet limit. Then, you should place an even-money bet (red/black, high/low, or odd/even). Remember, these are the bets with the highest odds. From there, the system works almost the same way as the Martingale. Namely, you should increase your wager by one unit after a loss and decrease it by a unit after a win.
The Fibonacci Betting System
This betting system is based on the Fibonacci sequence. Fibonacci was the name by which Leonardo of Pisa, a famous Italian mathematician, was known. He studied a sequence of numbers back in the 13th century. Six centuries later, the sequence was named after him.
The Fibonacci sequence orders numbers in a way that after the first two, every number sums up the previous two ones (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, and so on).
When you apply the sequence to Roulette, you should bet one unit the first two times. From then on, your every bet should sum up your previous two bets.
The James Bond Betting System
Ian Fleming, the creator of the popular secret service agent, also created the Roulette betting system named after him. According to Fleming, the James Bond betting system is foolproof. It suggests you should place $140 on high numbers, $50 on numbers 13 through 18, and $10 on zero. It’s obvious that you’ll lose $200 if the ball lands on one of the numbers one through 12.
The Red and Black Roulette Strategy
This betting system implies that you place even-money bets (red/black, to be exact). In a way, it combines the Martingale betting system and the D’Alembert betting system. According to it, you should bet one unit on either of the two colors and keep doing that until you lose twice in a row. If and when that happens, you should double your wager and keep betting two units on the same color until you either win or lose twice in a row. If you win twice in a row, you need to decrease your bet by one unit. However, if you lose twice in a row, you have to raise it by one unit.
Closing Thoughts
Roulette may seem easy to beat when you rely on hearsay. The truth is, you can beat it only if you’re lucky. There’s not much you can do about it. Betting systems serve as betting patterns and they don’t work magic.
However, you can better your chances by being responsible. You should start by selecting a good online casino and studying odds and payout rates. Then, when it comes to the actual game, you should be careful about not burning through your bankroll, whichever betting system you apply.