Honing Your Roulette Strategy

Whether you are a seasoned roulette player, a relative newcomer, or a total novice, it’s a good idea to sharpen your skills to get the most out of the game. For a while, roulette (unlike poker) is mechanically a game of luck; how you place your bets can definitely affect your chances of winning. Also, the version you play will affect the odds, so it is worth understanding the different formats and betting options before placing your chips on the green baize (whether real or virtual).

Roulette wheels conjure up the essence of the glamorous casino scene, and the imagery is iconic. It is the game that immediately springs to mind when we think of casinos – the black and red segments, the chips piled high, the white ball dropping in, and the spinning wheel. There is something so fascinating about that rotating wheel and the familiar clunk when the ball drops into the winning pocket.

You might never have set foot inside a casino, but chances are, you will be familiar with the game. After all, it features in movies from Indecent Proposal to Casablanca, and 007 is frequently found at the roulette tables, attired in a tuxedo, in the James Bond movies. In fact, one of the betting strategies is called the James Bond strategy. Will using it leave you shaken or stirred, and will it improve your chances of cleaning up?

While you cannot influence where the ball will land, the amount you win or lose when wagering depends on the strategies you deploy and the type of game you play. You cannot influence probability, but you have more control when playing roulette than when wagering on the slots. So whether you are playing at a casino in downtown Las Vegas or Atlantic City or an online casino playing from home, here are some tips that could improve your chances.

No strategies can guarantee success, but understanding game variations is an excellent starting point. Once you have got your head around these, there are some roulette tricks you can use to improve your chances of picking up the winnings. However, whether you win or lose, roulette is entertainment, and it is the fun that really counts.

There are different types of roulette wheel which affect the odds:

European roulette – European roulette is widely regarded as the game’s original and most popular version. The wheel is made up of 37 sections – 18 black, 18 red, and one 0.

American Roulette – the American wheel has an extra slot in the form of a 00 pocket. The payouts are the same as for European roulette, but the house edge is slightly higher, so your chances of winning are less than on the European wheel.

You choose to bet on single numbers, choose a spread of numbers, all odds, evens, or perhaps just red or black. The 00 gives the house an additional advantage; the house edge on an American wheel is 5.26%. In other words, for every $100 bet, the house will retain $5.26 in the long run. On a European wheel, it is 2.7%, so remember that when you are choosing your wheel.

French roulette – the French wheel is a subset of the European game, played with its own rules on a slightly different table. In French roulette, the Partage rule means you only get fifty percent of your bet back if you lose an even-chance bet.

No Zero Roulette – some casinos have wheels without any zeros, offering a higher chance of winning. These are popular among beginners, and the chances of winning are better. However, casinos are businesses, and they still need to take their cut in the form of a percentage of your winnings.

Multi-Wheel Roulette – if you want to get in a spin, you can play simultaneous games across several wheels. Rather than one wheel determining the outcome of a bet, players wager on anything up to eight tables. This style of play will certainly get the heart pumping and the adrenaline racing, but it is probably the reserve of experienced players.

Live or simulation

For years, roulette simulations have been a popular choice at online casinos. However, there is now an exciting new online variant where players can participate in live, interactive games with human croupiers and real opponents. From the comfort of your own home, you feel as though you have been transported onto the floor of a brick-and-mortar casino. Players go head-to-head and interact in real-time.

It might look like you are in an upmarket casino, but the games are beamed from TV-like studios around the world. They employ special cameras and OCR tech to deliver up an incredibly realistic experience. For your part, you do not need any Virtual Reality peripherals or special equipment to enjoy this kind of gaming. What is even more remarkable is that most online casinos have optimized live casino games for playing on mobile devices.

Honing your skills

Remember, the house always wins, but you can have fun along the way, and there is a good chance you might walk away with some winnings if you play wisely

1. Play wheels with a lower house edge – so European or No-Zero.
2. Make informed decisions by understanding the betting options
3. Know the rules of the game you are playing and make use of special rules – check the specific terms and conditions of any offers you are using to fund your bets, too. That way, you will not be in for any unpleasant surprises.
4. Try out free roulette games when learning to play and discover the difference between tables and casinos before laying any real money bets.
5. Check out what online bonuses are around to make your cash go further. Top online casinos have welcome bonuses and free bets for new players. Existing players should also be able to use loyalty and VIP bonuses when playing at their favorite online casino.
6. Don’t be rushed, and play at a comfortable pace. Do not fall into the pitfall of hurrying through games and forgetting to savor the experience. If you are feeling frustrated, step away from the virtual game, reset your mind, regain your focus, and never chase your losses.

Above all, play for fun and enjoy the ride! The golden rule of all gambling games is never to stake more than you can afford to lose.