Roulette : Strategy : Wheels



So now you know the basic bets on the Roulette layout. The next step is how to make your bets work for you instead of work against you. Are you ready?

Contrary to popular belief, the Roulette wheel has no memory. Just because black has come out 5 times in a row dosen't mean that the probability of a red coming out on the next spin has increased. Casinos perpetuate this myth by placing a large lighted tote board where players can look at the last 20 or so numbers that have come up. Sure, streaks do happen, but the probability is always the same for each spin of the wheel.


Bad Bets

One of the best strategies in Roulette is to keep from betting against yourself. Construct a betting strategy that leverages itself, instead of defeating itself. For example... betting on both Black and Red simultaneously will result in either a push or a complete loss (in the event a 0 or 00 comes out).

Choosing Numbers

A lot has been written on how to pick numbers. The usual strategies are: lucky numbers, birthdays, ages, number of children, psychic readings, hotel room numbers, betting 'blocks' of neighbor numbers on the wheel and many many more. How you decide to pick numbers is really up to you... there is no strategy here.

Positive Progression Betting - Straight Up

One method that roulette players employ in their betting arsenal is the concept of Positive Progression. In positive progression, the player bets a group of individual numbers straight up, if they hit they take their 35-1 winnngs, double their original wager, pocket the leftovers and hope to hit one of their Straight Up bets again. If the player wins again, they can elect to further progress their bets or pocket the winnings. If they lose, the player starts again at the wager level they started with.

Some players employ a negative progression strategy wherein they double their bets every time they lose. This can be a very very dangerous strategy as it can exponentially increase your losses, and a single win only gets you back to zero. We do not advise playing negative progression on Roulette.

Single Zero vs Double Zero

Originally, Roulette wheels contained only one zero. Single zero roulette is primarily played in Europe, however some casinos in Vegas offer single zero action (Monte Carlo, The Mirage and Stratosphere to name a few). Single zero roulette is a much better game for the player, it reduces the house edge from 5.26% to 2.70% on all bets - a very significant shift.

So how do you win?

There are no sure-fire ways to win at roulette. However, smart betting, positive progression strategies, a bunch of luck and knowing when to quit are essential skills at the wheel. Another good idea is to play roulette at home using a gift shop set, playing for free on the internet and investing in expert manuals on Roulette from the Vegas Tripping Players Club Library. Just like any casino game, a little bit of knowledge will go a long way...

Good luck!