How to Play Roulette
Roulette is one of the easiest casino games to learn and play. It also offers excellent opportunities of winning to those who are willing to make a study of it. The centerpiece of the roulette table is a rotating wheel that contains 37 or 38 numbered slots.
A croupier spins a small ball in the direction opposite to the wheel, and it will eventually slow and drop into one of the slots. Your task as the player is to predict where the ball will land. You do so by placing a bet on a field of corresponding numbers.
If you are right, you will win at fixed odds. If not, you will lose your wager. Nothing could be simpler, or potentially more frustrating.
One early form of roulette was called “Roly Poly.” Popular in England in the 1720s, it involved rolling a ball around a wheel with slots, two of which were marked for the banker. Players wagered on which slot the ball would land in, losing their bets if the bank’s slot came up.
Roulette and The French Evolution
When the British Parliament outlawed Roly Poly in 1739, a new game replaced it called E/O, or “Even and Odd.” This game featured a wheel with forty unnumbered black and white slots, one of each colour designated for the banker.
The dealer collected losing bets and paid off winners at even odds, making it strictly low-profit game. When a black or white bank slot was hit, losses were collected, but no winners were paid, thus creating a very small house advantage.
Around 1745, E/O crossed the channel to France, where the white slots were painted red and the French took to calling the game “roelete” or “small wheel.” The physical wheel they used for this game was a native invention created by mathematician Blaise Pascal (1623-1662).
In 1655, Pascal had been trying to create a perpetual motion machine and the smoothly rotating disk he came up with suited roelete perfectly.
Meanwhile, an Italian lottery-type game called biribi had become popular on the streets of Genoa, and it spread to the South of France. One version of the game employed a board displaying 36 numbers and a sack of correspondingly numbered balls. Players would wager on which ball would be blindly drawn by the dealer.
It is not certain who had the bright idea of fusing biribi with roelete by numbering the slots on the wheel and configuring the board layout in red and black, but it clearly occurred sometime between 1760 and 1789.
That’s when the game of roulette as we now know it became the rage in the casinos of Monte Carlo and the resorts of Spa in southern Belgium.
Following the French Revolution, when anti-gambling laws were relaxed, the Palais Royale in Paris adopted roulette as its primary form of amusement. The “small wheel” was poised to become the “King of Casino Games” and a new French export.
Different Roulette Wheel, Same Game
Before the turn of the 19th century, the original Parisian roulette wheel featured 38 numbered slots, or pockets. Among those were 18 red numbers and 18 black ones, along with two green bank slots, the zero and double zero, to give the house its advantage.
This version of the wheel was shipped to French-influenced New Orleans around the time of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. From there, the wheel traveled up the Mississippi on riverboats and then on to America’s western frontier.
As the European layout evolved to a single-zero version with 37 pockets in the latter half of the century, the original 38-slot form would eventually become known as the “American wheel.”
Despite many attempts to change the configuration, the wheels seen in casinos and online today are exactly the same as the ones used more than 150 years ago. The numbers on each wheel alternate red and black.
No more than two odd or even numbers may appear next to each other. The numbers are also distributed to create randomness among the various dozens and columns that appear on the table layout, too.
If you take a close look at the American Roulette wheel, you will see that each odd number has been fixed directly across from the next even number in sequence.
In order, the numbers appearing from the single zero clockwise are 0-28-9-26-30-11-7-20-32-17-5-22-34-15-3-24-36-13-1-00-27-10-25-29-12-8-19-31-18-6-21-33-16-4-23-35-14-2.
With an odd number of slots, the single-zero European Roulette wheel has no slot directly opposite any other, so the sequence has to be different. Clockwise from zero the numbers are 0-32-15-19-4-21-2-25-17-34-6-27-13-36-11-30-8-23-10-5-24-16-33-1-20-14-31-9-22-18-29-7-28-12-35-3-26.
In 1888, some American versions of the wheel featured only 14 red numbers and 14 black ones, along with three bank slots—a zero, a double zero and an American eagle symbol.
That made 31 pockets in total. But with odds of 27-to-1 paid for a straight up bet, the house advantage was 9.8%, and the experiment soon failed in favour of the original 38-pocket version.
By contrast, the elimination of the double-zero on the European wheel meant odds actually improved for the player, as the house edge fell from to just 2.7%.
It has been said that a couple of French brothers, Francois and Louis Blanc, made a pact with the devil in 1842 to obtain the single-zero idea, which made roulette more popular than ever when introduced at German casinos the following year.
As many have since pointed out, adding up all of the numbers on the roulette wheel results in a total of 666—the number of the Antichrist—yet another supposed indication of evil influences at work in the game.
Group Playing European Roulette at the Casino
How the Roulette Table layout is Set
In similar fashion, the old biribi board evolved to become the roulette table patterns seen today. All roulette layouts display 36 numbers divided into 12 rows and three columns.
On the “outside” are zones for betting the columns, sequential dozens, red, black, low (1~18), high (19~36), odd and even. On the “inside,” numbers may be bet straight up, in pairs, rows, and other combinations.
Wagering is conducted directly on the table layout. When placing a bet straight-up on a single number, the wagered chip is centered inside the numbered rectangle, not touching any of the surrounding lines. Bets of more than one chip are stacked on top of each other.
A win pays 35-to-1. To make a “split” bet on a pair of numbers, the chip(s) should straddle the line between the two numbers. A win pays 17-to-1.
A bet may also be placed on four adjoining numbers—a so-called “corner” or block bet. The wagered chip goes on the intersection where the four numbers meet. A win pays 8-to-1. It is also possible to bet on a “street” (row of three) or a “six-line” (two adjacent rows of three).
Simply put the wagered chip(s) on the line at the very end of the section you wish to bet. Wins will pay out at 11-to-1 and 5-to-1, respectively.
Outside bets are made in similar fashion in the designated areas of the table. Wins on red or black, even or odd, and high or low all pay 1-to-1 or “even money.” Wins on any of the dozens or columns pay 2-to-1.
European and American roulette table layouts are quite similar. The primary difference is the addition of the double zero area next to the single zero on the latter.
French tables do not have red and black markings, and they are usually a bit wider to create larger betting areas for outside wagers and special positions for dozens betting on both sides of the main field.
In Monte Carlo, each roulette table offers two identical layouts on either side of the centrally located wheel so that more players can be accommodated.
It is interesting to note some slight anomalies in the table layouts. For example, the black and red numbers are not distributed evenly throughout the table pattern.
The three dozens, the first column, the high/low and the odd/even each are each made up of equal numbers of both colours, but the remaining two columns are not. The second column favours black 8:4, while the third has a red advantage of 8:4.
Such discrepancies can yield some intriguing betting opportunities. For example, placing a wager of two units on black and one unit on the block containing 0-1-2-3 on the European table yields a winning probability of 21:37 or 56.8%—better than half.
Such a wager will win one unit on 17 black numbers, six units on the two red numbers and zero, and ten units if the two appears.
Another interesting bet is five units on red and three units on the middle column. This will provide a winning ratio of 26:37 or 70.3% on the European table.
For winners, it pays a profit of one unit on eight black numbers, two units on 14 red numbers, and eleven units on the four red numbers bet in common.
Also, the American table layout creates one special betting combination which is absolutely the worst wager you can make at roulette. Placing a chip on the outside line of the 0-00-1-2-3 is the only five-number bet possible. It pays 6-to-1, which is far below true odds.
If you were to bet one unit on each of the five numbers and one of them hit, you would win 35 units and lose four—a profit of 31 units. But betting the same five units on the group would win you only 6×5 or 30 units. Obviously, this is a bet to avoid at all costs.
A European Roulette Preference
Almost all guides to roulette will advise you to play at European tables if you have the option. This is because the double zero on the American layout gives a significantly higher edge to the house—2:38 or 5.26% versus 1:37 or 2.70%.
With this in mind, for all of the betting examples given hereafter, European table odds will be cited, unless otherwise noted.
However, before abandoning the American wheel altogether, a few additional cautions are in order. Operators are well aware of the house advantage presented by the American layout.
Therefore, many land-based casinos and some gaming web sites do not even offer European roulette, while others raise the minimums or reduce the limits allowed at such tables. This can greatly affect your play if you bet using a betting progression (see below).
Of course, the easiest way to tell an American table from a European one is to look for the telltale double zero. But you need to be mindful of other differences, too. For example, some European-style tables also have special rules for even-money bets.
They will pay back half your wager when a zero comes up, or else they may “freeze” your bet for another spin, a process known in France as en prison. Your wager wins or loses depending on the next outcome.
Should another zero come up, a “double freeze” results. Then you will need two wins in a row to claim even money.
Another option at some European tables is called “quadrants,” where you bet on which of four sections of the wheel the ball will fall. Winning wagers pay 3-to-1. A few casinos, especially those with the French table layout, offer other sector bets.
These include “orphans,” “neighbors,” “friends of zero,” and various exotic combinations that you will need to research carefully before you play them.
Besides knowing the odds, it is important to know the table’s betting limits. The values of chips are based upon the lowest wager allowed, ranging from a penny to hundreds of dollars, Euros or pounds.
You may ask for chips of a specific value at land-based casinos, but be aware that rules may require you to play at least five units on even money bets (outside), or a combination of bets totaling five units on the numbers (inside).
In crowded casinos, the best playing position is near the center of the layout where all sections of the table can easily be reached. It is also permitted to ask a croupier to position bets, although it can be difficult to get one’s attention, and they occasionally do make mistakes. Controlling your own bets is certainly the best policy.
Calculating Roulette Odds
Determining the probability of various outcomes at roulette requires a little knowledge of maths, but it is a very straightforward process.
The likelihood of any outcome (P) on a single spin of the wheel is simply the number of possible winners (B) divided by the number of slots on the wheel (37). It is expressed by the formula P = B/37 or the ratio B:37.
On the 37-slot European wheel, the odds of a specific number coming up (B=1) can be expressed by the ratio 1:37, or P = 1/37 = 2.7%. The odds of one of the 18 black numbers coming up (B=18) are 18:37, or P = 18/37 = 48.65%.
If you follow these examples, you should easily be able to calculate the probabilities of a winning split (pair), street (trio or row) or column of 12 numbers. Again using the European wheel, these are 2:37, 3:37 and 12:37, respectively. Calculated as percentages, they are 5.41%, 8.11%, and 32.43%.
Once you understand the basic mathematics of roulette, you can apply it to a few betting patterns. One of the most common approaches to wagering for beginners is called the “Birthday Strategy”—betting the month and day you were born.
For instance, if you were born on July 13th, you would bet one unit straight up on number 7 and one on 13.
As the formula P = B/37 indicates, your chances of winning on either of these two numbers (B=2) with a single spin of the wheel are P = 2/37 = 5.41%. If you win, you will receive 35 units and lose one, for a net profit of 35 – 1 = 34 units.
If you lose, you can make the same bet again. If you then win, you will receive 35 units and lose one plus the two you lost on the first bet, for a net profit of 35 – 3 = 31 units.
Continuing to play like this until you win is not a bad strategy to begin with. It is both easy to remember and play. If either one of your numbers comes up before you lose 17 times in a row, you will have a profit. But what are the odds of that happening? Let’s see how to calculate that.
Is Today Your Birthday?
Roulette is a game of independent events. That means no outcome affects the next. For this reason, roulette is statistically very predictable.
The odds are fixed and they never change, no matter how many times the wheel is spun, no matter what results have occurred in the past, and no matter how many wagers are piled on the table. The wheel has no memory.
That means the probability of your birthday numbers coming up on any spin are always the same—5.41%. It also means you can accurately calculate the probability of your numbers coming up on any numbers of spins (N), by using another formula.
This second formula identifies the probability of a winning outcome (P) for all numbers bet (B) over the course of any number of spins (N) in a series. It is expressed by the formula: P = 1 – {(37-B)/37}N.
Too much math? Let’s see how it works. You already know your Birthday Strategy will fail if you wager and lose 17 times in a row, so perhaps you will limit your play to 13 spins of the wheel (N=13). Using the second formula, you get P = 1 – {(37-2)/37}13 or 51.44%.
In other words, although the Birthday Strategy has just a 5.41% chance of winning on any one spin, it offers a slightly better than 50-50 proposition if you repeat it for 13 spins, so don’t give up too soon.
In fact, if you use the formula to calculate the probability of your numbers coming up in 17 spins, you will get 61.1%. That means you ought to be receiving a “birthday present” almost two-thirds of the time you play this simple strategy. And if it loses, simply leave the table and say, “Today’s not my birthday.”
Roulette Systems? Meet Mr. Martingale
What happens if you apply the second formula to determine the probability of a black number coming up at least once in half a dozen spins. There are 18 black numbers (B=18) and six spins (N=6), so P = 1 – {(37-18)/37}6 or 98.1%.
Is there anyone who would not be willing to place a wager on an event that is likely to occur almost 100% of the time? The real question is, “How can you best take advantage of this likelihood which borders on certainty?”
Attempts to answer this question have intrigued gamblers and mathematicians for more than 200 years.
In his memoirs, the Venetian adventurer Giacomo Girolamo Casanova de Seingalt (1725~1798), better known as Casanova, reported using a simple betting progression at the Ridotto Casino in 1754. He doubled the size of his bet each time he lost until his bet eventually won.
In the latter part of the 18th century, this practice of “doubling up on a loss” would become associated with the proprietor of a British gambling house, Henry Martingale. Today, the betting strategy is known far and wide as the Martingale progression.
As one of the most basic wagering systems, Martingale is usually applied to even money bets, such as red or black, even or odd, and high or low. As we have seen, at a European table, a unit placed on black will win at a rate of 18:37, or 48.65%, and over a series of six spins, it can be expected to win 98.1% of the time.
You begin playing by placing one unit on black. If you lose the first time, bet two units. The odds of winning will still be 46.65%, because the results of previous spins have no effect on the next outcome. They are independent events.
To be able to bet on black and double up six successive times, you will need to be prepared to wager 1+2+4+8+16+32 = 63 units. Assuming you have sufficient funds, is there any reason you would not want to use Martingale?
Again, mathematics shows the way. In the short term, we know there is a 98.1% chance of winning, which is equivalent to a 1.9% chance of losing. But the win is only one unit.
If the progression fails, as we know it will 1.9% of the time, the loss is the full 63 units wagered. In order maintain a profit, you need to win the progression at least 64 times before losing once.
The likelihood of that happening is not especially good. In fact, the progression fails about once ever 50 times (1.9%), so it is rather certain that you will lose money playing Martingale exclusively over the long term, if you limit yourself to six spins per progression.
So why stop at six spins? Why not keep doubling up, like Casanova, until you win?
Unfortunately, there are two good reasons. First, it takes unlimited resources to keep doubling for an indefinite number of spins, and the odds on any single spin will still favour the house by 51.35%. Second, most casinos put a cap on betting (table limits).
If the limit is, say, 1,000 units, the progression will collapse after 10 straight losses. And is it really worth risking 512 units to win one unit on that last spin? Perhaps there are less risky ways to play.
Other Betting Strategies
During the past two centuries, renowned mathematicians, professional gamblers and computer experts have made countless attempts to create an unbeatable roulette strategy. To date, no foolproof betting system exists.
But that doesn’t mean it is impossible to win at roulette. In fact, many popular systems are effective in the short run, and if you play them in moderation, they can yield consistent profits.
As we have seen, because of the 2.7% edge built into the game, the odds always favour the house over the long term. For that reason, the greatest success comes from setting fixed objectives that can be reached rather quickly.
Good roulette players are familiar with a variety of strategies. Here are the most basic progressions:
Martingale – The objective is to win one unit in profit. Start by betting one unit on an even-money area of the table. Upon a win, start over. Upon a loss, double the wager on the next spin. Continue play to a fixed objective or maximum loss.
Paroli (Anti-Martingale) – The objective is to win a series of three or four bets in a row, each worth 7~15 units in profit. Start by betting one unit on an even-money area of the table.
Upon a win, double the wager on the next spin. Continue playing until winning three or four times in a row. Upon a loss, start the progression over. The strategy is to gain enough short winning streaks to cover all losses.
d’Alembert – The objective is to win one unit in profit. Start by betting one unit on an even-money area of the table. Upon a loss, increase the bet by one unit.
Upon a win, decrease the bet by one unit. Continue play until the required bet is zero, and then start the progression over. This strategy uses the “Law of Equilibrium” to make use of even-money outcomes being very close to 50-50.
Fibonacci – The objective is to win one unit in profit. The bet will always be the sum of the preceding two losses. Start by betting one unit on an even-money area of the table.
Upon a loss, bet one unit again. Upon another loss, bet two units (1+1). Upon a third loss, bet three units (1+2), etc.
Upon a win, cross off the last two numbers in the sequence. Continue play until all numbers have been crossed off. The strategy is to cross off numbers twice as fast as they are added. Eventually, all numbers in the series are crossed off, one unit is won, and the progression begins again.
Labouchere – The objective is to win X units in profit. Structure the bets as a series of numbers that add up to X. For example, if X=6, the series could be 1+2+3 or 1+1+2+2.
Bet the first and last numbers in the series. Upon a win, cross both numbers off and bet the first and last numbers remaining in the series.
Upon a loss, add the amount of the loss to the end of the series, and then bet the first and last numbers. This strategy relies on crossing off numbers twice as fast as they are added.
Eventually, all numbers in the series are crossed off, X units are won, and the progression begins again.
Roulette Pattern Bets
Knowing odds and payouts will help you develop your own roulette strategy. You will probably want to experiment with some of the basic progressions, such as Labouchere and Fibonacci, on a small scale to see how they work.
You will discover that when they work well, they pay out slowly and steadily. But if you are interested in a shot at bigger payouts, you may also want to incorporate some pattern bets into your play.
One popular pattern bet that you often see at land-based casinos is the “bull’s-eye.” The player chooses a number on the table to bet straight up, typically in a part of the table that has not been a hit for a while. That number is then surrounded with chips on the adjacent corners and splits.
For example, a bull’s-eye on the number 8 will cover all of the numbers 4~12. It costs nine units to set up. Any hits on the non-8 even numbers will break even. Any wins on the four odd numbers adjacent to the 8 will pay 33-to-3 for a profit of 27 units.
But if the 8 comes up as planned, that’s a bull’s-eye. It will pay 15:1 for a profit of 135 units.
Of course, the likelihood of hitting any single number is just 1:37 or 2.7%. The possibility of losing all nine units on a bull’s-eye bet is 28:37 or 75.8%. Obviously, it will pay to choose your target wisely.
Another approach to pattern betting is to target certain sections of the wheel. Again, the theory is that if a certain area has not had a hit in a while, it may be ripe, so you should load it up with chips.
The five-unit wager known in France as Voisin du Nombre (neighboring numbers) is such a pattern. You bet one unit on a number straight up and one unit each on the two numbers on either side of it on the wheel.
A bet on number 7, for example, would be accompanied by bets on 12, 18, 28, and 29 on a European layout, or 11, 17, 30 and 32 on an American one.
Most professionals keep a close eye on zero. If it has not come up at all during an hour of play, they may target it by using the pattern called Voisin du Zero (neighbors of zero).
This bet requires nine units. You place two units on the 0-2-3 row; one unit each on the pairs 4-7, 12-15, 18-21, 19-22 and 32-35; and two units on the 25-26-28-29 corner. This pattern covers every number on the European wheel from 22 to 25, including the zero in the middle.
A win will double your investment on 14 numbers and yield a profit of 15 chips on the 0, 2 or 3. The probability of success on a single spin is 17:37, or 45.95%.
A History of Big Roulette Winners
Most dealers will tell you that it’s not possible to win big on even-money roulette bets, but in 2004, Ashley Revell proved them wrong. He decided to bet his life savings on a turn of the roulette wheel.
A British citizen, Revell flew to Las Vegas, where he convinced the owners of the Plaza Hotel-Casino to waive their table limits for a single spin.
In retelling the story, Revell says he thought about betting black, but ended up staking everything on red, at the urging of British Sky Channel viewers who watched the internationally televised event.
As it turned out, the viewers were right. When the ball dropped into the number 7-red pocket, Revell pocketed $135,300. It has been said that he used his winnings to start an online poker network.
But the bigger winner was the casino. The event was so highly publicised that the advertising value to the Plaza was worth far more than Revell’s wager.
Casinos love to publicise their customers’ big wins and downplay big losses. Perhaps the most famous of all “big wins” occurred in July 1891, when a small-time London hustler named Charles Deville Wells went to Monte Carlo with just £400.
In three days, he turned it into £40,000 at the roulette tables, forcing several of them to close. Then, he returned in November and won £10,000 more.
Based upon these much publicized wins, Wells became a folk hero of sorts and allegedly inspired a hit song, “The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo.”
Although police investigated, they never found any signs of cheating. Wells himself said that he “simply had a lucky streak” using a version of Martingale.
What is less well known is that Wells and his strategy hit a losing streak the following January. To finance his losses, he sold investors on an invention that supposedly improved the efficiency of coal-fired engines.
There was no such device, Wells was reported to the police, and he ended up in a U.K. prison for eight years, convicted of fraud.
Breaking the Bank
The expression “breaking the bank” actually has nothing to do with a casino running out of money. Each table at a casino keeps a certain amount of reserve funds to pay out potential losses.
In the 19th century, if a table used up all of its reserves, its “bank” was said to be broken and the table was closed by draping a black cloth over it.
In 1873, a British engineer named Joseph Jaggers (a distant cousin of Mick Jagger) was one of the first to break a roulette table’s bank. He gathered six clerks and had them record the results of every spin on all of the wheels at the Monte Carlo Casino for six days.
Based on this research, Jaggers identified one wheel that was biased. He then used that information to win £80,000, betting nine numbers (7, 8, 9, 17, 18, 19, 22, 28 and 29), before management took the wheel out of play and stopped his run.
Today’s roulette wheels are monitored closely for any imperfections. Nonetheless, many players believe that by “clocking a wheel” (studying its results for several hours) before playing, it is possible to identify certain numbers or sections of the wheel that are more likely to come up than others.
Whether “clocking” is worth the time invested is open to debate. It may be necessary to clock dozens of wheels before finding even one that has a slight imperfection.
Inevitably, someone always thinks there is another way to break the bank—by cheating. From hidden cameras and laser tracking systems to magnetic-field generators, almost everything possible has been tried to outsmart an honest wheel.
In a famous 2005 case, Hungarian gambler Laszlo Kovacs secreted a small computer in his shoe. By tapping the sole of it below the roulette table, he was able to determine wheel speed, ball velocity, and where the ball would land.
He managed to cheat Australian casinos out of $200,000 before his arrest, but he did get caught eventually.
A more common method of cheating at roulette tables is called “past posting.” When the dealer turns away from the table to see where the ball has landed on the wheel, the cheater quickly places a chip or two on the winning spot.
Although such moves are easily noticed by staff and monitors, people still keep trying, getting caught, and being banned from play.
Another trick is to purchase unmarked chips at a low-limit table, pocket some of them, and then add them back into stacks at higher limit tables. This assumes the unmarked chips are identical at both tables, and they rarely are.
Pit bosses are wise to such schemes. Under the surveillance of security teams with cameras and monitors (“the eye in the sky”), cheaters inevitably get caught. And there is absolutely no reason to cheat, because there are so many ways to win legitimately.
Best Strategy for Winning at Roulette
As you have seen, many aspects of roulette are beyond your control. What number comes up when the ball settles into its slot is one of them. The house edge is another, as are the odds and their associated payouts.
However, you do have control over several aspects of play, and how you manage them will be the primary determinants of whether you win or lose, a little or a lot. Always keep the following five factors in mind as you play:
Choose the best location. It is entirely up to you where you play. It doesn’t matter whether you prefer online gaming or land-based casinos; be sure to play only in locations where you feel comfortable.
This might mean finding a noise- or smoke-free venue with very few distractions. It could be a web site that has state-of-the-art graphics and a user-friendly interface.
If you do not like the roulette environment, for any reason whatsoever, just leave and go somewhere else. The choice of where to play is yours and yours alone.
Seek out the best promotions. The majority of online casinos will give you free bonus cash when you make your first deposit. Most land-based casinos offer cash incentives, too, especially for new players.
It is simply a smart move to play with house money if they are giving it away. Find the promotions that give you the biggest greatest rewards for joining and playing. Make them pay to have you play.
Use the best money management. It is entirely up to you how much you wager. Long before you place your first bet, you should know exactly how much you are willing to risk.
Be specific. For example, you could set your limit at 200 times the minimum bet and never bet more than 10% of it on a spin. Or set it at 20% of your bankroll. If you happen to lose your initial stake, call it quits for the day. You can always start again tomorrow.
Master the best strategy. It is entirely up to you how you play. As you know, there are many different systems for wagering at roulette, including Martingale, Labouchere, pattern bets and others.
Each has its pros and cons. No matter which strategy you choose, become the master of it. Practice on free-play web sites or use a toy wheel at home until you develop the confidence and proficiency you need to succeed playing for real money. Your preferred strategy should be second nature to you.
Make the best use of time. It is entirely up to you how long you play. Some players stop after 60 minutes, win or lose. Others choose to stop after 80 spins, or whenever they win 100 times the minimum.
No matter what plan you have, stick to it. It is important to remember that the house edge guarantees it profit in the long-term. The way to beat roulette is to win in the short-term and quit while you are ahead. Far too often, winners play longer than planned and end up losing.
Play Roulette Online
At a land-based roulette table, the ball drops about once every two minutes.
The croupier needs to clear the table, call for bets, spin the ball, help position bets, call “no more bets,” indicate the winner, remove losing bets, calculate and pay winners, welcome new players, take in cash, issue new chips, cash in chips for those leaving the table, and answer questions. Sometimes it can seem like forever between spins.
Clearly, to get 30 wins playing any system will take an hour at the very least, and more likely two or three.
If you have previously played only in bricks and mortar casinos, you will find the online experience quite different. Gone are the self-consumed strangers, stretching out their arms to place bets in front of you.
There are no dealers hurrying you to get your chips down. You can take all the time you want to decide where to put your bets. Move them around until you decide, not the croupier, it is time to spin the wheel.
Or you can set your bets in fixed positions and play as fast as you like—even 100 or more spins an hour. The wheel is completely under your control.
The graphic user interfaces (GUIs) used in today’s online games are dynamic, unlike the two-dimensional visuals that were first introduced. Virtual roulette tables appear to be three-dimensional. On high-resolution screens, they look very realistic.
And the sound effects are quite real, too. They include the scraping of the ball as it spins and the clatter as it falls across the face of the wheel before clunking to rest in a pocket. Toggles allow you to turn background music on/off and to mute the croupier’s voice at will.
If you play a betting system that requires complex mathematics, no pit boss will tell you to put your calculator away. And you don’t even have to keep track of results.
The previous spins are clearly posted for reference, along with your chip total, your winnings, and your bankroll. Some software even gives you hints on what to bet next.
With all of these good reasons to play online, only one concern should arise: Can the site operator be trusted? Transferring funds over the Internet via a secure connection should be done only after you have done sufficient background research, checking the credentials of the web sit you intend to use.
It is easy to use a search engine to find lists of reputable providers and sites rated by third parties as trustworthy. With more than 2,000 online casinos to choose from at current count, you are sure to find one that works exactly the way you want it to. Isn’t today the perfect day to take your first spin?
