Strategy that works and Strategy that doesn’t
When it comes to gambling, many players think they have an angle - some sure fire strategy that they implement to make winning an easy thing. Some count cards in blackjack, some stare down Texas Jack at the poker table, and others make exotic craps bets to reduce the house edge.
However, when it comes to Roulette, it would seem there really are no sure-fire winning strategies. After all, a player’s fate rests solely on the spin of the wheel, and the house edge works to make sure that things stay in the casino’s favor at all times.
So is there anything a Roulette player can do to give them a little bit of advantage? There is, actually. A lot of the winning strategies rely on knowing where to play, knowing the odds, and even simple observation of the situation at hand.
For starters, it is important to understand that where a player chooses to play can make a large amount of difference, especially once larger betting amounts come into play. The American version of the Roulette wheel has an extra slot (“00”) that European wheels do not have – this extra slot actually reduces the odds of a player winning, and increases the house edge. While we’re on 00, it is also important to stay out of the “five number bets”. This is also another American innovation that does nothing for the player except provide a 7.89 percent house edge against the player.
So what have we learned from this? Find a European wheel if it is available. That’s the only sure “house edge reduction” strategy that is guaranteed to work for you.
As far as other strategies, it is important to remember that all roulette bets pay less than the odds of them winning. This means, over the long run, there is no mathematical way to beat the table (in fact, Albert Einstein is reported to have said: “"You cannot beat a roulette table unless you steal money from it.")
That said, through observation, a player can also notice various conditions at the table, such as a table where red has come up ten times in a row (most tables post the results of the last ten spins or so) – although the math people will tell you that matters not, wouldn’t you think that black is due anytime now? One can do the same for odd and even. There are also a few betting strategies for Roulette (similar to the “Martingale system” and the like) that one can employ, which we’ll look at in another article.
However, in the end, one must remember that with this game, fate is determined by the roll of the ball. Good luck!
