With enough money and time, everyone wins at roulette. Unfortunately, none of us have unlimited time and few have unlimited funds. For this reason, winning at roulette depends on having a strategy that gives you the least chance of losing. Gambling in the foreign country has the worst odds at the table (2 to 1) because playing them gives you the lowest chance of losing. But don’t make the mistake of thinking you have a fifty percent chance just because that’s the payoff. Your chances are 47.4 playing American roulette and 48.7 playing European roulette. For serious players, American roulette is never played.
The difference is due to the fact that the American roulette wheel has 38 spaces (0, 00 and 1-36), while the European roulette wheel has one space minus zero.
The strategy of doubling the bets is common. You bet a chip abroad. If he loses, bet two on the next spin. If you lose again, your next bet is four. It sounds safe. It is not. How much are you out if you lose, say, ten in a row? After losing ten in a row, you have lost 1,024 chips and your next bet will be the double plus 1 chip.
Do you have any idea how often a losing streak will last for eight losses? Much more than you think. Casinos like to see their roulette wheels rolling once every ninety seconds. Seven losses in a row in outside bets occur on average every three hours or less.
You need to know the odds because you can be sure the casino does. Not only do they know the odds, they also know what to do to keep those odds in favor of the house. This is clearer in the maximum bet restrictions that apply to outside bets. This limit means that at most tables, you cannot place an outside bet greater than half the table maximum for inside bets. Limiting outside bets in this way means you can’t double enough to play even an eight-game losing streak by doubling the bet.
The best strategy for winning roulette lies in knowing how to avoid streaks combined with knowing when to cancel your losses and start a new streak. The best betting strategy is 1, 2, 3. If you lose on the first spin but win on the second, you are winning a chip. If you lose the first two rolls but win 3 on the third, you are tied.
The reason this scheme works is that you risk only what is needed to stay balanced, thus minimizing your risk. A loss of the first bet puts you one down. A win on the second bet recovers the loss and gives you two. A win in the third equalizes him and he re-bet a chip and starts over.
Now, the key strategy to avoid streaks, the key to playing winning roulette. Don’t jump around the table. That’s important, so I’ll repeat it: don’t jump from playing colors to playing high-low to playing odd-even. If you’re betting red-black, stick with it. But once you’ve lost three in a row, change color. Stay in one color only as long as you are winning at least one in three. If you stick to this strategy, you should get it right. But remember, it’s called gambling for a reason. Even with a good plan, there will be days when you will have to leave with less than when you started.
