As one of the most popular casino games, Roulette offers you a bet on where the spinning ball will land — a single number, a group of numbers, red or black, odd or even, or high or low. The numbers on the table correspond to the numbers on a spinning wheel. A small ball on the spinning wheel eventually lands on one of the numbers. That number wins. The term roulette comes from French, and it means “little wheel”.

The Appeal and Math Behind Roulette

The roulette wheel is divided into 36 segments with alternating red and black colors. Two extra green colored segments are numbered 0 and 00. Players can place bets on specific numbers, odd numbers only, even numbers only, a specific color, or even a group of numbers.

Inside bets are bets placed on a specific number or up to 6 numbers next to each other. If you place a bet of $1 on number 7, there is a one in 36 chance of the ball landing on it. If it does, you will be paid $36. The odds are, however, stacked against you.

Outside bets are bets placed against 50/50 chances of winning. These are bets placed on the ball landing on odd, even, black, or red colored segments.  The payout is low with a ratio of 1:1 or 2:1.

Understanding the Odds (European vs American Wheels)

Apart from the 36 segments on the roulette wheel, there are the two green segments mentioned earlier. These two segments are added for a specific purpose. Instead of a player having a 50/50 chance of winning any round, the odds tilt in favor of the casino. This gives the casino a ‘house edge’ and ensures a profit.

A European roulette wheel has one segment with a zero. No player wins if the ball lands on that zero. Instead, the money bet in that round goes to the casino. In the American roulette game, the wheel has the zero segment and an extra segment with double zeros. This lifts the profits of an American roulette wheel to double that of its European counterpart.

American roulette has a house edge of 5.20% while the house edge for European roulette is 2.7%. Likewise, the odds of a European roulette winning are 48.6% while an American player has 47.3% odds of winning.

Bankroll Management Basics 

Gambling should be done within a realistic budget and only use funds you do not mind losing. Any money made from gambling, if any, should also be budgeted for. Some slot games even have an in-built feature that allows you to set a win/loss limit for your game.

Most casinos keep transaction records on your account, which you could use to track your spending at the casino. Tracking your gambling record helps you note problem gambling and take corrective action before it gets out of hand.

In roulette and other online casino games, understanding what volatility and RTP% (Return To Player) mean will help you lay out an appropriate strategy to enjoy your gambling. In roulette, for example, a game strategy with high volatility means big payouts with long dry spells. Outside bets on the roulette wheel are an example of low volatility bets because you get frequent low payouts.

Common Betting Systems

Some seasoned roulette players employ several strategies in their games. The most common are:

Martingale

Martingale is among the most common roulette strategies in the world, partly because it is so easy to understand. It basically requires players to double their wager every time they lose a round. 

By doing so, it means that any win recoups all the losses made prior to the win. However, the flip side of this strategy is that you could deplete your bankroll before landing a win. It will also require a large bankroll if you are on a long dry spell. 

D’alembert

In the D’alembert roulette strategy, the player places a higher bet with every loss made and less when winning. The reasoning is that eventually, the losses and wins will balance out. A player using this strategy only places inside bets and increases or reduces their subsequent bet by the bare minimum. Following the D’alembert strategy can be effective in the short term. However, the losses can pile up in the long term. 

Fibonacci

In this strategy, the player's stake is determined by the outcome of the previous two wagers. Every time you lose in the Fibonacci strategy, your next wager will be the sum of your previous two stakes. The first part of the Fibonacci sequence would be 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55. The next number in the sequence would be an addition of 34 + 55 for a wager of 89.

Winning in the Fibonacci sequence means you go back two steps from your position in the sequence. To illustrate, if you lose 4X in a row before winning, your wagers will be $1+$1+$2+$3= $7 total loss. Your next wager of $5 wins, and you earn a $5 payout. You will go back two places in your wager and bet $2. 

Myths About Guaranteed Wins

Some common roulette myths are:

• There are hot (paying out) and cold (losing) numbers 
• Your color or number is “due” since you have been on a series of losses
• Roulette strategies are useless
• All casino games, including roulette, are rigged

However, the truth is that casino games run by chance and are thus unpredictable. Moreover, most casinos are regulated to ensure fair play. Also, having a strategy with a loss limit helps keep you within your gambling budget.

Practical Tips to Improve Your Chances

Here are some practical tips to help you improve your winning chances.

• Take advantage of free game demos to practice before placing real money wagers
• Try out different strategies or a combination of strategies and go with what works best for you
• Take advantage of any bonuses offered by the casino
• Placing smaller bets allows you to play for longer
• Set a budget and stick to it. In particular, have a limit to losses and wins.

Responsible Play Reminder & Closing Thoughts

At the end of the day, the aim of gambling should be entertainment. Making money feels good, but if your gambling is in pursuit of riches, you might end up disappointed. Furthermore, you might fall into the trap of problem gambling.

Approach gambling with an open mind. The casino is out to make money in the long run due to the house edge. In other words, let your casino gaming be guided by information, logic, instead of whims, myths, and emotions.

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