Roulette Strategies

When playing roulette, you can’t influence the game in many aspects. But, one crucial part of the game you can affect is how you make your bets. That said if you’ve never used roulette strategies, where do you start?

Firstly, there are different game variations, and not all strategies work equally well on each of them. Because of this, it’s important to pick a roulette variation that suits you. Then, you can explore different roulette strategies to see which one pairs up best with the variation and your playing style. 

All of this might sound like a protracted and tedious process, but don’t worry. In this roulette strategy guide, we’ve prepared everything you should know. By the end of this page, you’ll find the roulette variation and strategy that best match your style. 

If you’re new to the game of roulette, you should start by reading up on the rules of roulette.

The Basic Roulette Strategies

The basic strategy for playing roulette is the so-called flat betting strategy. It’s a betting strategy in which you always stake exactly the same amount of money regardless of the outcome.

This strategy is simple and great for beginners. Besides the flat betting strategy, you can also use negative progression betting and positive progression betting strategies. These are more complex, and we’ll focus on them in more detail below.

Roulette Strategies - How to Win in Online Roulette Casinos

⭐ Playing Perfect Roulette

Roulette is pretty straightforward. There’s no “perfect” way to play it. Luck is a big factor that solely determines the outcome. That said, if you want to play roulette optimally, you should use a roulette betting strategy. Couple it with a bankroll management strategy and responsible gambling habits. This will give you the best winning chances when playing roulette.

The Best Roulette Strategy

There isn’t one roulette strategy that stands out as the best. This is because choosing the best roulette strategy isn’t an objective pick. It also depends on several subjective aspects.

For instance, if you are risk-prone, you can choose a strategy that offers a high risk-reward tradeoff. On the other hand, if you’re a beginner or simply like to play it safe, you should look for strategies on the opposite side of the spectrum.

Choosing the best roulette strategy also depends on the type of roulette game you’re playing. Some strategies are more effective in some roulette variations than in others. This is why you first need to pick a roulette game you’ll primarily focus on.

Choosing the Best Roulette Game for Your Strategy

Before you pick a strategy, you should decide which roulette variation is best for you. This decision should be based on your preferences and on your roulette playing style. Let’s go over the most common types of roulette games:

Roulette Strategies for Beginner

⭐ American Roulette

American Roulette is one of the most popular roulette variations, especially across the US. The hallmark feature of American Roulette is the double zero pocket on the roulette wheel. Due to this, the American version has 38 numbers in total. This wheel configuration also brings a significantly higher house edge, which is 5.26%.

Because of the high edge, the best strategy for playing American Roulette is not playing it at all. No betting system can beat this high of a house edge, especially in the long run. While exciting, American Roulette is not nearly as favorable as many other versions of roulette.

If you want to try this version, you can find American Roulette at all the best roulette casinos online.

⭐ European Roulette

The European roulette wheel is considered the standard roulette wheel layout. It has 37 numbers, going from 0 to 36. The game has a house edge of 2.7%. Additionally, it includes a few bets you can’t find in American Roulette. These are Voisins du Zero, Jeu Zero, Tiers du Cylindre, and Orphelins. These are also called racetrack bets.

The best way to play European Roulette is to focus on even-money bets. Bets like red/black, low/high, and odd/even give you the best long-term winning chances. In addition, use a roulette betting strategy to properly size every bet.

⭐ French Roulette

French Roulette is very similar to European Roulette. It includes the same bets and the same wheel layout. But, it offers half the house edge, being as low as 1.35%. This makes it an exceptionally favorable variation to explore. Moreover, it includes two extra rules, called En Prison and La Partage.

The En Prison rule gives even more reason to only play even-money bets in French Roulette. If you place an even-money bet and the result is 0, then your bet stays in place for another spin of the roulette wheel. If you win this round, you win your bet back. 

La Partage lets you get half your bet back if the result of an even-money bet is 0. 

Roulette Strategies How to Odds of Winning in Roulette

⭐ Double Ball Roulette

As the name gives it away, the main difference between Double Ball Roulette and standard roulette is that this version includes two balls. Because of this difference, Double Ball Roulette also has a few unusual rules.

If you place an outside bet, both balls need to land in the appropriate pockets for you to win. For inside bets, only one ball will get you a win. That said, if both balls land in the right pockets for an inside bet, your winnings are doubled.

Considering the unique rules, a double ball roulette winning strategy can be more open-ended. Outside bets are riskier than usual.

To avoid the two balls meeting on the roulette wheel, they are not spun manually. Instead of the croupier spinning the ball into the wheel, they are shot out at opposing sides of the wheel. This is done at the exact same time, and at the exact same speed. The croupier simply pushed a button.

⭐ Lightning Roulette

Lightning Roulette includes standard roulette features and RNG gameplay. In this roulette variation, between one and five Lucky Numbers get struck by lightning. When this happens, they receive generous multipliers.

The multipliers can go up to 500x and are only available on inside bets. Additionally, all non-multiplied straight-up bets pay 30:1, while all other bets pay the same as in classic roulette.

For these reasons, Lightning Roulette isn’t as rewarding if you’re a player who likes to play it safe and use a low-risk roulette outside bets strategy. The best lightning roulette strategy might be a riskier system that exploits the potentially very rewarding features of the Lucky Numbers.

⭐ Mini Roulette

Mini Roulette features a miniature wheel that only contains 13 numbers. Because of this, some of the usual bets available in standard roulette are unavailable in this version. For example, you can’t bet on dozens. But, you will find a bet on a half dozen numbers.

This roulette version can have a house edge worth up to a staggering 7.69%. Because of this, we recommend avoiding it altogether. While it is a charming variation, it’s also nothing more than a gimmick that will only cause you to lose more money than you would by playing other variations.

Roulette Strategies on Mini Roulette

Improving Your Roulette Skills

Roulette doesn’t involve much player input. You’re not doing anything apart from choosing your bets. So, is there any way to improve your roulette skills? The answer is yes! Here are some simple but effective tips for improving your roulette skills:

  • Focus on the version that suits you best
  • Never play while under the influence
  • Track your bets
  • Focus on the long run
  • Don’t be swayed by the Gambler’s Fallacy

Roulette Bankroll Management

Even knowing all of the roulette rules and strategies won’t get you far without proper bankroll management practices. This is especially important if you want to play roulette long-term successfully. Here are the best roulette bankroll management tips:

⭐ Set Win/Loss Limits

Setting win/loss limits can help you preserve and increase your bankroll. Having a loss limit will help you avoid spending more than you can afford. On the other hand, having a win limit will help you preserve your bankroll by letting you know when to quit while still ahead. 

Most roulette players disregard the importance of having win/loss limits. Unfortunately, without these mechanisms, you’re not giving yourself the best winning chances long-term. These limits are useful in both winning and losing streaks and can make a significant difference. 

Besides setting win/loss limits, when you’re playing online, it’s also useful to set withdrawal rules. A good way to go about it is to maintain a steady bankroll balance or increase it gradually over time. Whenever you win a more substantial amount, withdraw it to your bank account. This will prevent you from losing the money you’ve previously won.

⭐ Extend Your Bankroll With a Roulette Bonus

If you’re playing roulette at a NZ online casino site, you can boost your bankroll by claiming various bonus deals. An online casino bonus is free money you can use to extend your sessions. Moreover, if you clear the bonus terms and conditions, you can even convert the bonus funds into real money and withdraw it to your account. 

That said, keep in mind that online bonuses aren’t as favorable for roulette players as for slot players. Most online casino bonuses will only let slot machine wagers count 100% towards the wagering requirements.

For roulette players, only about 10% of their bets will contribute to the wagering requirements. That said, you can find bonuses with favorable terms and conditions. But, this will never be to the extent of fully contributing to the wagering requirements. 

Additionally, before you claim a bonus, you should make sure that it fits your roulette strategy. Some bonuses come with restrictive maximum bet limits. This might reduce the effectiveness of a betting strategy involving large bets.

Roulette Strategies at Land-Based Casino

Common Roulette Betting Strategies

Distinguishing good from bad roulette strategies is challenging. Moreover, the only way to do so is to try them and potentially risk losing all of your money. To help you avoid this and only focus on the top strategies, we’ve filtered the most popular ones worth your attention. 

It should be noted that all of these betting strategies should be used on even-money bets. There are no strategies that will efficiently help you win long-term on bets with low odds of winning. Here are the most common roulette betting strategies:

⭐ The Martingale Roulette Betting System

The Martingale strategy is arguably the best-known system in the gambling world. This is a negative progression betting system that comes with two simple rules. You have to double your stake after every loss and bet only one betting unit after you win a spin. 

Let’s say that you set a base unit of $5 for your bets. If you win, you keep the bet at $5. If you lose, you double up to $10. In case you lose again, you double up to $20. Keep doing so until you win. When you eventually win, revert to the original $5 bet. 

The nature of playing Martingale strategy roulette makes it a very effective system for the short term. However, it’s not a good pick if you want long-term sustainability. With the Martingale strategy, prolonged losing streaks can take a toll on your bankroll, as you’d have to start betting a lot of money if you continue to double your stake several times in a row.

⭐The D’Alembert Roulette Strategy

The D’Alembert strategy is the second-most popular roulette betting system, right after the Martingale strategy. In the context of this comparison, it shares the base premise with the most popular roulette betting system. This one also focuses on negative progression and increasing your bet sizes after every loss.

What’s more, the D’Alembert strategy is even simpler than the Martingale one. With this betting system, you always increase by one betting unit after every loss and decrease by one betting unit after a win. This makes it less risky than the Martingale strategy and a bit less rewarding.

Roulette Strategies - The Fibonacci Strategy

⭐ The Fibonacci Roulette Strategy

The Fibonacci roulette betting strategy is based on the Fibonacci sequence. Focusing on the specific numbers in the Fibonacci sequence, they go like this: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55. As you can see, each subsequent number is the sum of the previous two numbers. This can go on infinitely, although your bankroll and roulette table limits certainly won’t allow it. 

To simplify using the Fibonacci strategy in a roulette gameplay setting, you’ll need to set betting units for your wagers. For instance, a $5 can be one betting unit. Then, when you lose, move up to higher numbers in this sequence. But, after every win, move back two spaces in the sequence.

⭐ The Labouchere Roulette Betting System

The Labouchere system is one of the most complex roulette betting strategies. So, if you’re a beginner roulette player, we advise you to skip this one for the time being. In this system, you create your own sequence of numbers. This can be any sequence of your choice, although you do need to make it logical. 

As a negative progression betting strategy, the Labouchere betting system revolves around increasing bets after a loss. It’s a very flexible system. Moreover, it differs from other popular negative progression systems as it doesn’t aim for quick loss recovery. Instead, it focuses on slowly recovering your losses with several smaller wins.

⭐ The Oscar’s Grind Roulette System

The Oscar’s Grind system is great for roulette even-money bets. It’s one of the safer roulette betting systems you can use. This makes it ideal for players who aim for steady long-term winnings.

The system is very easy to follow. You start by placing a bet valued at one betting unit. If you lose, you place a same-sized bet for the next round. If you win, you add another unit to your next bet. You continue with the same pattern until you reach your session goal or you run out of money.

Roulette Strategies - The Paroli System

⭐ The Paroli Roulette Betting System

This is the simplest positive progression betting system for roulette. The Paroli roulette strategy is very straightforward and easy to follow. The first thing you need to do is set a base value for your bets. When you start playing, increase your stake by one base stake. When you lose, return to your base bet size. 

For example, you set a $5 base bet value. If you win, you will bet $10 for the next spin. If you win again, you move to $15 per bet. Keep doing so until you lose. No matter what your bet size is at the moment of a losing spin after you record a loss, the next spin should be the base $5 bet.

Positive Progression Betting Strategies

Positive progression betting strategies work through increasing bets when winning. The goal of these systems is to make as much money as possible during a winning streak. Here are the main pros and cons of positive progression betting strategies:

⭐ Advantages of a Positive Progression Roulette Strategies

  • Great for risk-averse roulette players
  • Works excellent short-term
  • Straightforward

⭐ Disadvantages of a Positive Progression Roulette Strategies

  • Not the best long-term
  • Less exciting than negative progression strategies

Negative Progression Betting Strategies

With negative progression betting strategies, you increase your bet sizes after every loss. Due to this, these strategies make it easier for you to recover any loss instantly. However, it also incurs heavy bankroll swings, which not many roulette players can handle. Here’s a closer look at the biggest pros and cons of negative progression strategies:

⭐ Advantages of a Negative Progression Roulette Strategies

  • Very effective for quick loss recovery
  • Exciting and entertaining to use
  • Works great for players with bigger bankrolls

⭐ Disadvantages of a Negative Progression Roulette Strategies

  • Not very suitable for players with smaller bankrolls
  • Most systems are very risky

Varation Roulette Strategies in Online Roulette Game

Bets to Avoid When Playing Roulette

The basket bet is generally considered the worst bet in roulette. This five-number bet is available on American Roulette and covers the numbers 00, 0, 1, 2, and 3. The main reason to avoid this bet is that it comes with an unfavorable 7.9% house edge. Among experienced roulette players, the basket bet is thought of as a sucker bet. 

Sticking to American Roulette, it’s best to avoid playing American Roulette tables altogether. The reason for this is simple. The double zero pocket adds to the house edge and makes American Roulette less favorable than European Roulette. The 5.26% to 2.7% house edge in European Roulette’s favor can make a substantial difference in the long run. 

Additionally, straight-up bets are also very poor choices. They are enticing for many roulette players, as they promise a 35:1 payout. However, the winning odds are very low. While there’s nothing wrong with playing this bet occasionally, it’s best to avoid it most of the time. The same goes for split bets. They offer better winning odds, but still not good enough for you to play them often.

Online Roulette Strategies vs. Land-Based Casino Strategies

Your roulette gambling strategy won’t be affected to a significant degree based on where you’re playing the game. You can use any of the above-mentioned strategies in both land-based and online casinos.

The only difference that can affect your decision-making is the fact that you can’t control the tempo. In online RNG roulette, you decide when you’ll spin the wheel. So, you have as much time as you want to decide. 

In brick-and-mortar casinos and at live online casinos, the croupier controls the pace. They will give you a certain amount of time to make the bets. In other words, you need to promptly make bets during each betting round. 

Practice Your Roulette Strategies for Free

Roulette comes in many different variations, some more popular than others. With that in mind, how do you make sure you’ve picked the right roulette game and strategy? The good news is that you can practice roulette online completely for free.

Many online casinos allow you to play online RNG roulette in demo mode. This way, you can find the best betting strategy in roulette and practice as long as you want. Then, you can simply move to real-money games. 

This is the best method for learning a strategy without risking any money. We should not that this option is only available for standard online RNG roulette games. You can’t play online live casino roulette for free. But, you can play RNG roulette at most casinos, even at the best mobile casinos. There will be several versions to try, as most offer a wide variety of RNG roulette versions.

Roulette Strategies FAQ

Written by Ivan Potocki
Proofread for quality assurance by Eve Luneborg

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