Close your eyes and imagine that you’re in a casino. Among all the table action around you, one game will probably stand out in your mind’s eye – roulette. There’s something that makes it rise above all others in the iconography of gambling. It may be the almost frictionless rotation of the wheel, the anticipation of where the white ball will fall or the “click” of the chips as they’re placed on the gaming table. Together they create a captivating spectacle that is full of tension and anticipation.
Of all the casino games that you’re likely to play it’s also one that is the purest demonstration of the law of probability. Statistically speaking, this means that there is an equal chance for any number to come up with each spin of the wheel – there are no patterns to observe and the outcome is truly random.
The fact that, as a player, you have no influence at all on the numbers that come up make it a very different game to ones in which an element of skill and judgment is involved. This means that the only way that you can influence the game to go in your favor is by adopting betting strategies while you play.
There are countless examples of these, some well-known, others less so and all have their advocates. As you’ll see, there are some which work better with bold play and others which allow for a slower, more gradual accumulation of winnings – and some which are best suited to online roulette.
So take a look at our top five and then it’s time to decide which one you’ll be trying out first as you take on the table.
The James Bond Strategy
Who might be one of the very first characters that you come across when you enter your imaginary casino? The chances are that it might be that quintessential risk-taker and high roller, 007. As you might anticipate with a strategy called the James Bond, it does rely on you having a considerable amount of stake money to employ it. Generally, the minimum amount to have in your bankroll should be $200, but any multiple of it will do.
For this example, we’ll assume that you’ve gone in at the $200 level. You put $140 on high numbers 19-36, $50 to go on the 13-18 line and $10 on the number zero as an insurance bet. You’ll have spotted that this misses out the low numbers 1-12 but that’s the calculated risk that you need to take – and one that should statistically speak, pay off 66% of the time.
Playing the numbers
Unlike strategies that largely rely on controlling the amount that you’re betting or the pattern of bets that you’re making, this example is closely linked to our old friend the law of probability. It’s probably best used alongside other strategies rather than your sole approach and involves watching the game carefully to see which numbers have not come up for quite a while.
Because we’re not all memory masters, this is ideally suited to online players, playing roulette at 888casino allows you to see which numbers have come up in previous spins. Try writing this information down in a real casino and it’s likely that the dealer or the pit boss will have a quiet word with you about the practice. The good thing about this technique is, with a potential payout of 35 times your stake if you win, you can play with small amounts and still have the potential of good returns if any of your bets do come off.
The Martingale
On the other hand, if you like your strategy to be simple and you have a large bankroll behind you, then the Martingale system could be the ideal choice for you. The logic behind it is sound, but in practice, it becomes a little more complicated and it also relies on you having a good run of luck. The principal’s simple. You bet on odds or evens, red or black and, if you lose, you double your bet on the next spin.
Provided that you win with the next spin you should be ahead but if you don’t then you’ll have to carry on doubling your stake. What you need to beware of is falling into a losing streak because if you start with a $5 stake and lose five times in a row you’ll be having to wager $160 on the sixth spin.
The D’Alembert
If you’re the kind of player who believes that making slow progress is better than making no progress at all, then the D’Alembert system could be a great choice. It’s a technique that relies on the simple principle of slightly increasing or decreasing the amount of your stake according to how your previous wager has done For example, if you begin with a $10 stake and you win, your next stake should be $12. On the other hand, if you lose, it should be reduced to $8. By continuing like this you’ll, hopefully, see your winnings build up. But if things aren’t going your way you’ll also be minimizing your stake money accordingly.
The Fibonacci
If you’re a wiz at math you’ll already be familiar with the Fibonacci sequence, named after the Italian mathematician. But if you aren’t. so good with figures all you need to know is that it’s a sequence of numbers created by the sum of the two that have preceded them. So it begins1+1=2, 2+3=5, 3+5=8, 8+5=13 and so on. It’s also an almost magical form of numbers which can be seen in everything from natural phenomena to the perfect composition of a painting.
Like the Martingale, it’s used for odds/evens and red/black bets and follows the principle that when you lose you should then bet the sum of the two stakes that have gone before. But if you’ve won, you can go back two steps and reduce your stake – a handy extra safety net that can prolong play considerably.
