Tips and Strategies
for Roulette
Roulette strategy is in the betting; the players
have absolutely no control over picking the winning number.
The spinning of the wheel and the releasing of the ball
are all done by a croupier (the house), the players only
involvement is in making wagers.
In roulette the house edge is the same for all possible
bets. The only exception being the five-way bet on a double
zero machine (1, 2, 3, 0, and 00) which gives the house
a greater edge. So pick a number, or a group of numbers,
and hope luck is on your side.
The only thing the player can do to improve his/her chances
of winning is selecting a table that offers better odds.
There are three different variations on the game of roulette;
each offering the player different odds of winning, so when
possible play the tables that offer the best odds for the
player:
The s
tandard double-zero wheel is the most common in
North America. This machine gives the house a 5.26% edge;
it is the worst table for players to win on.
In Europe (and recently at some North American casinos)
roulette is played on a wheel that contains only one zero.
The single zero wheel reduces the house edge to 2.70%
and offers the player better chances of winning. Some casinos
offer both, which leads to the question 'considering the
odds why would anyone play a double zero machine if a single
zero machine is available?'.
In Europe they also have a variation called “en prison”
that reduces the house edge to 1.35% and represents and
even better chance for players. The “en prison”
variation is offered when the zero is the winning number.
Instead of the house claiming all of the money bet, the
player has the option of losing half of the wager or leaving
the wager and waiting for the outcome of the next play.
If the player had originally bet on red to win and the next
play results in a red number then the players money is returned
to him (without the usual payoff).
These two European variations may explain why roulette
is played much more in Europe than in North America - because
they have better odds! Many online casinos will offer one
or the other types of roulette regardless of their location,
and some will offer both American and European roulette.
Stick with the odds - European style.
