Sure, you can gamble on whichever number or color the white ball will land on at the roulette wheel, but successfully playing roulette involves discipline and invoking the best roulette strategy that works for you.
This guide will help both beginners and veterans apply successful roulette strategies to win at roulette.
More on Basic Roulette Strategy
- How to Play Roulette
- Types of Roulette Strategies
- Best Roulette Betting Strategies
- History of Roulette
- Online Casinos That Offer Roulette
- Responsible Gambling
- Roulette Strategy FAQs
How to Play Roulette
The casino game, roulette, involves wagering on whether the white ball lands on red or black. The main variants, American, European, and French Roulette, incorporate the same bet mechanisms, such as columns, outside bets, and combination bets. The French and European variants have a single zero, while the American version has two zeros.
Roulette Payouts
Like RTP rates for slot games, roulette odds help players, at retail or an online casino, best gauge their chances for success or how not to lose money. Roulette games, including American Roulette tables, have a house edge of 5.26%, meaning the house or online roulette site will likely win more often than not. New players gravitate toward the European and French versions to better start a winning streak with a lower house edge of 2.7%.
Even online roulette offers consistent odds comparable to retail casinos for signature, even money bets. But because they tend to offer a higher betting limit, the chance for more significant payouts remains alluring. To better understand the best payouts and to win big money, including online gambling, please consider the chart below.
- Straight Bets or Single Number Bets: 1:1 payouts
- Even Money Bets: 1:1 payouts
- Dozens Bets: 2:1 payouts
- Column Bets: Usually 2:1, depending on the specific table game
- Inside Bets: 35:1 for a single number, but it can vary to 17:1 to 8:1 for other wagers like corner bets
For those who play roulette for high stakes, like outside bets, the payouts are lower compared to the inside odds, but they offer better odds even if you use different strategies.
Types of Roulette Strategies
The best way to beat roulette is to stick to a constant bet strategy, including playing roulette online. Advanced roulette game players might feel comfortable using different roulette strategies on the fly or combo systems, but fundamentally, playing roulette involves using progressive and non-progressive strategies. While, ultimately, the most successful roulette strategy is one you’ve mastered, sticking with these two main categories is a good starting point.
Progressive Strategies
Progressive roulette strategies help players maximize best bets by either increasing or decreasing wagers based on the outcome of the previous wager. The Martingale strategy, for example, is a staple progressive strategy that helps players boost winning streaks. Due to its simplicity, beginners use progressive roulette strategies to learn the ropes.
Non-Progressive Strategies
Whether you win or lose, non-progressive roulette strategies require players to maintain consistent wagers. They are definitely meant for conservative roulette players who stick to flat bets that involve making the same wager on all spins.
As with any roulette strategy, non-progressive strategies involve making fixed bets to extend your bankroll. Due to the constant bets, non-progressive roulette strategies encourage players to diversify their bets, including gambling on red and black to maximize the odds.
Best Roulette Betting Strategies
Ultimately, the best roulette strategies are the ones you are comfortable with and work in tandem with budget management. Many consider the Martingale roulette strategy to be near the top, but you will know which one works well once you put it to use and hone your skills. Also, the best roulette strategies might excel with particular wagers and not so well with more complex and intricate bets where the odds could be more favorable.
Martingale Strategy
The Martingale strategy is one of the most successful roulette strategies, especially for beginners learning the roulette table or online roulette. Essentially, the Martingale strategy aggressively helps players recoup losses by immediately doubling wagers after losses. But when you win, players should go back to regular wagers.
It’s strongly recommended that when using the Martingale method, players should start with easy bets like odd and even gambles that give you a 50% chance of winning. In this scenario, you have a 50% chance to steadily increase winnings or quickly erase losses by doubling subsequent bets.
However, the Martingale remains one of the best and most beloved roulette strategies because it offers different classes of Martingale systems. The Reverse Martingale, sometimes called the Anti-Martingale method, calls for players to double the stakes after each win and use regular wagers for losses. Like the regular Martingale method, players tend to start small with 50/50 odds of winning.
With the Grand Martingale, in a twist for doubling wagers after losses, players must increase it steadily should they continue losing. Unlike the regular Martingale strategy, which calls for consistent amounts for doubling wagers, the Grand Martingale ups the ante to help recover losses.
However, it presents the risk of quickly going through your budget. It’s recommended for more advanced players or those who can afford the higher stakes and risks.
James Bond Strategy
Named in honor of author Ian Fleming’s iconic James Bond character from the first novel and hit film Casino Royale, the James Bond strategy calls for making three wagers to cover most of the roulette table. The first wager involves staking on the high numbers, which gives you a 50% chance of winning.
The second wager involves choosing numbers between 13 and 18. The third wager involves gambling on the zero. If you’re playing the European or French version, the odds are slightly more favorable with the James Bond roulette strategy than the American game with the extra zero.
Advanced players and those with higher budgets best use the James Bond roulette strategy because the risks are higher, especially gambling on a single zero. If your first wager with this method fails, you lose all three bets by default. But if your second and third bets hit with the James Bond roulette strategy, you can recoup some winnings.
3/2 Strategy
Depending on your skill level and budget, the 3/2 method can become one of the best roulette strategies for quickly amassing winnings. Although somewhat risky, the 3/2 method calls for players to focus their wagers on bets with odds of 3 to 2 payouts.
The first 3/2 wager involves betting on the white ball landing on red or black, while the second bet involves betting on column bets. Alternatively, the 3/2 method also accepts dozens of bets to reach the 3 to 2 payout ratio.
Players can then make small or more substantial wagers on single-number bets. While the 3/2 system is risky, its distinct advantage has your wagers covering nearly 3/4s of the roulette wheel.
Andrucci Strategy
The Andrucci strategy, sometimes known as the “Wheel of Fortune” method, essentially breaks down the roulette wheel into more favorable numbers that have a higher chance of winning and less favorable numbers. The Andrucci method is an aggressive and expensive one because players must make no less than 30 wagers on a hot-hitting number to begin.
As you make the spins, note which numbers are hitting and those that don’t. That way, when you begin your second round of spins, you can recoup losses and then some by exclusively gambling on those numbers. This is why you need a sizeable budget when using the Andrucci strategy. As always, the wise player spends only what they can afford to lose, and if you’re playing online, consider responsible gaming measures, like deposit and loss limits.
D’Alembert Strategy
Named in honor of French mathematician Jean le Rond D’Alembert, the D’Alembert roulette strategy is a fan favorite and the quintessential progressive method. It requires players to make simple wagering adjustments based on wins and losses. It also proves an easy stepping stone for roulette beginners because it encourages starting with small bets.
Using the D’Alembert method involves reducing your wagers by at least a dollar if you win. This helps manage your bankroll and minimize future losses. For example, if the last winning spin was worth ten dollars, the following should be nine dollars.
On the other hand, if you had a losing bet, the D’Alembert strategy calls for increasing the next wager by a dollar to rebound quickly. If you’re on a shoestring budget, the D’Alembert method is wise to use to increase your bankroll patiently.
Labouchere Strategy
The Labouchere strategy is perhaps one of the most complicated roulette strategies because it requires players to already know their wagering number sequence before spinning. Also called the Cancellation Method or the Split Martingale, the Labouchere method assumes losses will happen.
It also requires players to have a target-winning goal to best plan their budget. Because of the inherent expense involved, the Labouchere method is more suited for players who can afford higher stakes. But instead of progressive wagers, the Labouchere method requires players to make wagers based on the first and last numbers on their lists.
Simply put, spins that result in a losing bet call for players to remove the numbers from their lists. However, winning spins call for roulette players to remove the first and last numbers from their lists. By a simple process of elimination, the goal is to maximize wins with numbers that hit.
Fibonacci Sequence
The Fibonacci roulette strategy is unusual because players determine pre-determined numbers, starting with one and then adding the following numbers to the sum of the two previous numbers. If this sounds confusing, consider this Fibonacci strategy for sequences. Begin with 1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34.
In theory, the Fibonacci number sequence can continue into infinity. The Fibonacci strategy allows for flexible bets to accommodate players of different budgets. The method calls for winning wagers to move two numbers back from the winning number and place the corresponding wager. Likewise, for losses, gamble on the following number in the sequence and stake that amount.
Double Street Quad
The Double Street Quad, better known as the Six Line or Double Street Bet, is a unique roulette strategy that combines a six-line bet with a corner bet, giving the player 17 total numbers. Players select two rows of side-by-side numbers to have twelve numbers in succession.
Once you know which rows to select, placers need to place their chips where the rows meet, which sets up the corner bet. While somewhat riskier than other betting strategies, the Double Street Quad offers the promise of large winnings because you have more numbers that you can potentially hit.
However, the Double Street Bet roulette strategy gives players tremendous flexibility in placing different bets over the numbers to help minimize losses or possibly losing their chips in a single spin. The payout potential and the odds for steady wins increase with French and European Roulette thanks to one less zero.
While seasoned players can use combination bets using the Double Street Quad method, the best bets still lie with simple wagers on numbers selected in your rows. Also, Double Street Quad permits players to make conventional wagers like dozens, columns, and even money wagers.
Paroli
The Paroli roulette strategy is a progressive one that is a hit among roulette aficionados. The Paroli betting strategy requires players to double their wagers after a win. If the next spin is not successful, they go back to the previous winning wager. But if they continue to win, they repeat the double wager.
Many hardcore roulette fans consider the Paroli arguably the best roulette strategy because it is quick to start and nurse winning streaks. Paroli strategy users tend to start with small wagers on player-favoring odds like even and odd stakes. However, Paroli is not the best roulette strategy for building up wins after sustaining too many losses. For that, consider the Martingale system or the D’Alembert strategy.
Parlay
If you’re familiar with the Martingale system, you’re halfway there to understand the Parlay roulette strategy, often referred to as the opposite of the Martingale betting strategy. Unlike other roulette strategies, winning at roulette with the Parlay involves boosting your next wager after losing the previous spin. It also involves a slight increase in the minimum bet for even-money bets.
If successful, this opposite Martingale strategy calls for double the next bet, including the original wager, hoping to double your bankroll. Double the subsequent bets until you lose if that wager is a winner. While it might not rank high among other betting strategies, you can quickly double it or more for those with the budget.
But before laying down your chips, the first move is to decide your target amount. That way, when you hit it, you can graciously leave while you’re ahead or strategically manage your wins to make safe and reasonable bets to get your target. The drawback of using the Parlay roulette strategy is that the potential for increasing your wagers can quickly deplete your budget should the losses mount.
History of Roulette
Roulette, or “the little wheel,” is one of the oldest casino games, with roots in France in the 1600s. Blaise Pascal is generally credited with developing it. But modern-day roulette got its uniqueness and classic gameplay style near the turn of the 1800s in France, where it was known as “ou le Jour.”
French Roulette, the oldest variant, became a smash hit in French gambling venues, with the allure of the single zero. But despite its popularity, the French government banned gambling. However, roulette’s appeal continued to spread throughout Europe, which gave rise to the European version.
Historians believe that French refugees from the French Revolution introduced roulette to America during the mid-1800s. American casinos of that era were looking to swing the odds in their favor, and they introduced the double zero. As the gambling scene became mainstream in cities like Reno, Las Vegas, and Atlantic, American Roulette continues to endure as the ultimate elegant casino game. Today, American casinos have introduced triple-zero roulette to bring “the little wheel” into the 21st century.
Online Casinos That Offer Roulette
| Online Casino | Bonus Code | Bonus Offer |
| Caesars Palace Online Casino | NYPCASINO2500 | Get a 100% Deposit Match up to $2,500 + 2,500 Rewards Points! |
| BetMGM Casino | NPBONUS | Get a 100% Deposit Match up to $1000 + $25 on the House |
| Borgata Casino | NYPBONUSBOR | 100% Deposit Match Up to $1,000 + $20 Bonus on Sign Up |
| Bet365 Casino | NYP365 | 100% New Player Bonus up to $1,000! |
| FanDuel Casino | None needed, just click here! | Deposit $10, Get $20 In Site Credit & Play It Again $1000 |
| betPARX Casino | NYPMAX | Get your first 24 hours of casino play stress free up to $1,000 |
| BetRivers Casino | None needed, just click here! | Get 24 Hours of Casino Losses Back Up To $500! |
| Golden Nugget Casino | None needed, just click here! | Deposit $5 Get $50 in Casino Credits! |
| Fanatics Casino | None needed, just click here! | Deposit $5 and Get 250 Free Spins! |
Licensed online casino apps usually offer staple roulette games like American, French, and European versions, along with other live roulette variants featuring real dealers. The virtual roulette table is identical, except for variants like Blazing 7s, and the software programs can accommodate different bets and minimum bets depending on the variant. But, the basic idea of the roulette wheel remains the same, with a random number generator used to determine fair and transparent results.
If the operator supports live dealer casino play, the software programs usually run on Evolution Gaming and IGT. Players can match wits with a croupier in real time to win at roulette. Unlike retail casinos, players can rely on AI software programs to help perfect their skills and hone different strategies. Online casinos might have glossaries that go over successful and best roulette strategies that other members use.
Responsible Gambling
With so much attention to detail and the chance to win big money with your initial bet, it’s easy to slip into a gambling addiction and quickly blow through your entire bankroll, hoping that you can win at roulette immediately with the next bet. If you’re on a losing streak, consider setting deposit and loss limits at the online casino where you’re playing. For more extreme cases, you can place yourself on the self-voluntary list.
For retail casino players, the best way to win at roulette isn’t just perfecting your chosen strategy but staying at the roulette table to make a winning single bet. Only spend what you can comfortably and safely afford to lose. Avoid bringing credit cards to the casino might also be a good idea. If you can’t stop making a losing bet, consider leaving while you’re ahead. For those who need professional help, please consider these reputable sources.
- National Problem Gambling Helpline: Dial 1-800-GAMBLER
- National Council on Problem Gambling
- Gamblers Anonymous
Real money online casinos that are legal in states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New Jersey especially have reputable state organizations that are dedicated to compulsive gambling.
Roulette Strategy FAQs
While making basic bets might work for beginners at a land-based or online casino, if you want to play roulette to win, mastering one or more strategies is an essential step. To recap and help you narrow down the best strategy for your needs, we answer the most pivotal questions to help you decide which strategies to use.
What is the best strategy for roulette?
Using many roulette strategies to win at roulette isn’t the answer. Instead, the best way to beat roulette involves using a single successful roulette strategy you are comfortable with. For best results, it might be a savvy move to experiment and try different strategies to see which yields the best results.
What is the safest bet in roulette?
While you can play roulette with many complex wagers and betting limits, single bets are the best roulette strategy for frequent payouts. Simple bets are the best bets for beginners because they only involve the number on which the white ball lands, or red or black.
Is there a minimum bet for roulette?
The minimum bets, as do the betting limits, vary from casino to game. Some real money online casino apps offer variants like Penny roulette, where minimum bets begin at a penny.
Is there a secret to winning roulette?
The best way to win at roulette is to understand the odds for the different bet types and use the best roulette strategy that helps you win consistent payouts. Unlike other casino games, the rules of roulette are straightforward to learn, especially for those spinning the wheel for the first time.
What is the difference between French Roulette and American Roulette?
The French and European versions differ from the American game because the roulette wheel and table are written in French. Also, the French and European versions only have a single zero, while the American game has two.