Tips for playing Roulette

Roulette Betting Tips

Go European – The difference between the European and the American versions of the game might seem small, but this small difference is significant. The European version of the game has just one zero, while the American version has two (0 and 00). The European games give the players much better odds. If you have a choice, go with the European version.

Choose wheels with an “en prison” option – The “en prison” rule protects your even money (outside) bets against a zero spin. If the zero comes up, your outside bet stays in place (en prison) for the next spin. If the second spin is another zero, you do lose your bet. Not all games have this rule, though. It’s another reason to go with a European game

“La partage” is good too – Like the “en prison” rule, “la partage” means that you don’t lose your whole bet if zeros come up on the wheel. Unlike “en prison,” “la partage” means that you do lose half your bet (not all of it) when either 0 or 00 comes up. The advantage of this rule for the player is that the house edge is reduced to 1.35% for single-zero wheels and 2.63% for the double-zero wheels.

Stay away from the “5 number” bet – One common bet in roulette is the “6 number bet,” where you place your chips outside the 6-number box. NEVER bet on the ‘5-number” bet – 0,00, 1, 2, 3. The odds on this bets are worse than the 6-number bets, but the payoff is the same! The house edge on the 5-number bet is a huge 7.89%. Don’t do it!

Wheels can be biased – With older or badly made roulette wheels, there might be a bias toward certain numbers. Watch the wheel for a while, and see if there are any consistently reoccurring numbers. If so, the wheel might very well have a bias. There is a danger, though that you might confuse consecutive hits with a bias. A wheel might hit the same number two or here times in a row without having a bias. That event isn’t uncommon in roulette – it’s usually a result of sheer randomness.

Dealers can have their own “signature” – Dealers can release the ball so mechanically that they actually release each ball the same way each spin. If the metal stops don’t deflect the ball, you might be about to predict the general area where the ball might land.

Spread out your bets - Make smaller, scattered bets than placing a large bet on any one number. Your bankroll will last longer. If you want to hit it big on your special number, add your winning from other bets to that particular bet.

Betting systems don’t work – Many roulette systems can be bought. The bad news is that none of them work. Honestly, there isn’t a “hidden” bet in roulette that will win every time. The house edge exists in every game—do the math to see how it affects you. If any game were beatable, the casinos wouldn’t have it on the floor. Your goals should be to enjoy yourself, try for a small amount of winnings, and walk away when you reach your goal.

“Even money” bets aren’t! – If you only want to make even money bets, and you don’t want to bet on particular numbers, consider changing to a different game. Why? The house edge on “even money” bets are over 5% when you count in the effects of the two zeros. A better bet might be blackjack, baccarat, or certain craps bets, where the house edge is closer to 1%.

Don’t walk away from the table with your chips! – Cash them in. Away from the roulette wheel, roulette chips are valueless. Even if you return to cash them in at the table, the dealer may make the exchange difficult since they can be assigned different values. So, before you leave, make sure that you’ve cashed them in.

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