Whether you are new to the game of roulette or an avid player, you have probably come across at least a few articles online about roulette betting strategies. Every player would like to find a way to beat the casino and collect as many payouts as possible. That is why betting strategies are extremely popular among roulette enthusiasts. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that the house will always have an edge over the player.
While many articles teach players how to utilise different betting systems to improve their odds, what most of them will not tell you is that you cannot overcome the casino’s advantage, even if you use a strategy. That said, you can still optimise your roulette play by implementing sound betting skills.
Even though some betting experts are convinced there is no point in using a betting strategy when playing roulette, others believe your best chance of winning comes from utilising the right system. Regardless of whether a strategy gives you a significant advantage, you should be aware that there are some systems you definitely need to avoid. To spare yourself any unpleasant sessions, we recommend that you look at several roulette strategies to avoid.
Why Players Use Roulette Strategies
If you decide to use a certain betting strategy when you play roulette, you must keep one thing in mind. Roulette, like any other gambling game, depends on luck, and you cannot manipulate the wheel to produce a win just because you are following a particular strategy. While a betting pattern may help you minimise your losses or slightly improve your chances, it cannot guarantee a win.
What most players fail to grasp is that the house will always have an edge over the player. Whichever betting strategy you use when betting on the classic table game, you will most likely end up wagering more and playing longer to try and break even. However, at the end of the day, the casino will always win in the long run, as bigger bets mean more winnings for the house.
Although some betting strategies promise fruitful results, they cannot guarantee them, as outcomes in roulette always depend on luck and randomness. At least that is true at regulated casinos that conduct fair gambling. Because roulette betting strategies often encourage players to place larger or more frequent bets, many websites warn readers that these systems can lead to bigger losses than originally anticipated.
The issue with roulette betting systems is that they cannot help you beat the game, as you cannot overcome the house edge no matter which betting pattern you use. Because every bet in roulette carries a house edge, you will ultimately lose and cannot escape that fact. However, the longer you play – an approach suggested by many betting systems – the more the casino will win over time.
Why Betting Strategies Cannot Help Overcome House Edge
You should know that there is a difference between the casino odds and the true odds of roulette. While the concept behind using a betting strategy is to fight chaos with chaos, the truth is that the casino will never offer true odds, always tilting the balance in its own favour. Depending on whether you play American or European roulette, a fair game would pay 37 to 1 or 36 to 1 respectively on inside bets. However, in reality, inside bets in roulette pay 35 to 1. That instantly gives the house an edge that you cannot overcome.
On outside even-money bets in American roulette, the house wins 20 times while the player wins 18 times. Meanwhile, in the European single-zero version, the house wins 19 times while the player wins 18 times on outside bets. That gives the American variation a house edge of 5.26%, while the house edge on European roulette is 2.70%.
Due to the house edge, the outcome of most of your decisions is predetermined to be the same in the long run, no matter what betting strategy you use:
- If you split your stake by wagering on half of the numbers, the house still wins
- If you bet on outside proposition bets, the house still wins
- If you divide your stake across several even-money bets, the house will win
- If you apply a betting strategy you have learnt online or from a roulette expert, the house will still win
The lesson you should remember is that no matter what you do, the house will have an advantage over you since it reduces the true payouts of bets. Since the payouts are essentially unfair, you cannot compensate for your disadvantage in the game, no matter what betting pattern you utilise.
Our goal is not to discourage you from playing roulette, as you can still experience plenty of winning streaks – even when you use a betting strategy. However, you should be aware that the game is designed to secure the house a profit in the long run, and you cannot change that using legitimate tools or skills.
Worst Betting Strategies to Avoid When Playing Roulette
While you may have seen numerous articles offering advice on the best roulette betting strategies, below we outline some of the worst systems you should avoid. Although no betting strategy can help you beat the casino in the long run, certain ones can drain your bankroll extremely quickly. Here are the techniques you would be better off avoiding.
The Martingale Betting System
This betting system is also popular in other casino games, and many blackjack and poker players are familiar with it. Under the Martingale system, you double your stake every time you lose. For instance, if a £5 bet on Even loses, your next wager should be £10; if that loses, the following stake should be £20, and so on. The idea is to keep increasing your bet until you record a win.
Although the system may appear to work occasionally, it is extremely risky when playing roulette – or any game, for that matter. A handful of unlucky spins can wipe out your bankroll, and you may reach the table’s betting limit in no time. Worse still, you might lose all your money long before you hit that limit if you endure a prolonged losing streak.
Sound bankroll management can help, but you will still need a substantial gaming budget to sustain a Martingale session. Effective management does not guarantee a profit; its success ultimately depends on your win-loss ratio.
During a losing streak, a positive progression such as the Martingale forces you to burn through your bankroll much faster and bust sooner. By contrast, a negative progression is a little kinder to your balance, allowing you to stay in the game for longer.
Trusting Hot and Cold Numbers
Some players cannot help but follow certain betting patterns when they play roulette. Because roulette is a game of luck, a particular number may appear several times in quick succession. After witnessing such streaks, some players believe that betting on the same “hot” number will bring them further payouts.
It is also common to see some virtual and live roulette versions displaying a history of hot and cold numbers. This marketing tool is designed to appeal to superstitious players. Convinced that there are patterns to follow, they bet more frequently on certain numbers while avoiding others. However, relying on hot and cold numbers is misguided, as previous spins have no effect on future results.
Unless a roulette wheel is compromised, every number has exactly the same chance of coming up on each spin. For that reason, you should avoid basing your betting decisions on results of previous spins.
Bet Hedging
This approach is popular in sports betting, and some players adopt it at the roulette table. Bet hedging can be compared to taking insurance against potential losses. Players try to cover multiple outcomes to reduce their exposure and, in theory, boost their chances of winning. For example, a roulette player might place both smaller and larger bets on several numbers to hedge.
Bet hedging is more suitable for those who are playing purely for entertainment and want to make the action more thrilling. However, players who are focused on maximising profit will be better off avoiding this strategy. If you place the same £10 bet on both red and black, one wager loses while the other wins, cancelling each other out. With hedging, one of the two stakes is often higher, and you hope the larger one wins. As you can see, this approach is far from promising, which is why we recommend steering clear of it.
Things You Can Do to Better Your Roulette Playing Time
If you enjoy betting on roulette, there is no reason to stop – playing should be enjoyable. What you must remember, however, is that the less you wager, the less you will end up losing in the long run. Unfortunately, no betting strategy can help you overcome the house edge, so this rule applies to roulette, or any casino game for that matter.
To lower your losses, you can simply consolidate your wagers by cutting the total bet of £30 in half and staking £15 on any one of the three propositions. In doing so, you will halve your total expected losses because you are also halving your total stake. While placing three separate bets may be more exciting, you can make a single wager count.
Another way to improve your roulette results is to choose the right roulette variation. Because it has only a single zero, European roulette carries a lower house edge than American roulette. Naturally, if you have the choice, opt for the European version. Moreover, when you play roulette online, you can browse through numerous variants and pick the most favourable one. Games that offer surrender or en prison on even-money bets are especially worth your attention, as these rules can further reduce your expected losses over time.
You can also decrease your expected losses when making inside bets on roulette. For instance, instead of betting £10 on two numbers (£20 in total), you could lower your stake to £15 and place it on a single number. That simple adjustment lowers the expected long-term loss by 25%.
Conclusion
One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding roulette – and other casino games – is that players can tilt the balance in their favour by using certain betting strategies. What many roulette fans fail to understand is that the casino never loses because it does not offer the true odds of the game, thereby gaining a house edge that cannot be overcome. The only realistic goal for players is to minimise their losses.
To reduce expected losses over the long term, players should think carefully before placing bets. Learning how to cut down your total expenditure will help decrease your long-term losses. However, most betting strategies you find online will not assist with this.
If a betting strategy quickly exhausts your balance, you may go bust far too early. Moreover, you might end up staking more, ultimately increasing your potential losses. That is why you should avoid such strategies, especially if you do not wish to burn through your casino budget rapidly.
