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Basic strategy of roulette

Let’s get down to brass tacks: the basic strategy of roulette is to win. But how do you get to that seemingly elusive state of triumph and a fat wallet? How do you win? What’s the easiest way? Below we will break down the various strategies people use when playing roulette — both the ones that are cons and the ones that have proven to be successful. 

What are roulette betting strategies?

Every punter worth their salt will tell you, in all seriousness, that they have a system and that their system works. “Don’t listen to these other fools,” they’ll slur between placing bets and swigging cheap whiskey. “Anyone who tells you they have a winning roulette system is either lying or selling something. But I really do have a winning system.”

This, of course, is rubbish. Like all gambling – aside from card counting in Blackjack – there is no miraculous system to improve your chances of winning. Theoretical calculus of probability and all of that sort of mathematical voodoo is all well and good, but that nonsense works in theory and isn’t a recipe for success but just a way to keep your head above water. There is an old saying: Communism works in theory too.

But here are a couple of simple roulette strategies and methods you could try next time you get the itch for a spin or two.

Dozens and columns strategy in roulette

NetEnt roulette dozen bet

A lot of people out there have clued on to this little gem where you place a bet on two of the three dozens (an outside bet that pays 2:1), or in the same vain, bet two of the three columns (an outside bet, situated at the foot of the table that also pays 2:1). Either route you take (columns or dozens) essentially has you covering two thirds of the table.

For example, betting $15 on two dozens (or columns) at $30 total. Assume you win one dozen. You will lose $15 when the table is cleared but you will receive $30 on the winning $15 dozen bet, giving you a grand total of $45: a $15 profit for the spin.

Obviously the downside of Dozens and columns bet is not hitting one of your two dozens and losing it all. Or, like all outside bets, “0” being spun up and losing all outside bets.

Martingale strategy in roulette

European roulette by NetEnt martingale

Martingale is a bit of an odd little strategy and can only be genuinely applied to even money bets: red or black, odd or even and 1-18 or 19-36. The theory goes that you double up your losing bet because in a 50-50 punt, what you are betting on is bound to come up sooner or later, right?

For example, wagering an $50 bet on red loses. Next hand I would bet $100, which covers my loss of the initial $50 and grants a nice profit of $50. However, if you were to lose the second bet at $100, the next round you would bet $200, which covers the last two losing bets totaling $150 plus an $50 profit.

The only down side to the Martingale Strategy is that it is possible to outlay a grand or so just to make a $50 profit, or be prevented from attempting to bet back your losses when a table’s maximum limit is enforced.

Section betting in roulette

European roulette by NetEnt This strategy is more readily applied to Live Dealer online roulette or bricks and mortar roulette because it all hinges on the dealer’s spinning ability.

Sometimes when a dealer isn’t concentrating on their spin and ball action they tend to spin in a rut, spinning the wheel and the ball the same speed every spin. This can result in section spinning.

For example, if you notice 28, 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, or 2 coming up, then the roulette dealer is section spinning around the “0”, so you would load up on these numbers, hoping the dealer continues spinning in much the same manner.

You have to be very alert to what numbers are being spun up to be able to exploit this system and you must be quick to alter your betting if the dealer loses the section they have been spinning.

Favourite numbers in roulette

This is a simple roulette strategy. Just stick with your favourite numbers and hope for the best.

There is nothing worse than slaving away at one system or another and then sitting by idly and watching your favourite numbers come up time after time and kicking yourself for not betting them.

Where to play real money roulette on the Web

These Internet casino sites all offer online roulette options like Live dealer roulette, American roulette and European roulette.

You can access these casinos via most platforms, including desktop computer, mobile and basically any device with a web connection and internet browser.

Another great thing about online casinos is that you can play in free-play mode, which essentially means you can refine your roulette strategy before playing for real money.

Many gambling sites will also have sign up bonus offers, which can be a great way to enhance your playing time, but is often useless for roulette players, because the game does not clear the wagering requirements. Instead you should use your bonus on slots, or pokies, depending on where you are in the world.

Each online casino has their preferred methods to deposit and withdraw funds. Check the site for details.

We have only scratched the surface of theories for playing roulette, but hopefully this will get you started. So while roulette is a game of lucky it can be fun to get out there and apply some of the above strategies to your next game.