Ever since Roulette was introduced in the 18th Century, people have been trying to use different betting casino strategies to turn the casino odds in their favor – all for naught, of course. As you discover when you learn how to play American Roulette (or learn how to play European Roulette), the play odds in Roulette games don’t change for anybody. The only ways to beat the game (if you can get away with it) are to find a casino with a biased wheel, or use tracking technology to predict where the ball’s going to land. Neither method is recommended, unless you work for the Mission: Impossible team.
But people still use these casino betting strategies when they play online table games. They are useful in a way, as they stretch out your betting pattern into a certain number of units, and make progressively larger play bets when you win or lose. All of these online or live roulette game systems can be used when you play European Roulette as well as when you play American Roulette, as the two casino roulette games have mostly the same play bets. The casino difference between the two roulette games is just the addition or absence of a double-zero (00) on the wheel.
All casino Roulette games began with the double-zero Roulette wheel that we now associate with American Roulette. It wasn’t until an enterprising new casino in Germany invented the single-zero wheel as a way to drum up business that other European casinos had to follow suit in order to keep customers. This Roulette game change didn’t affect the Roulette game that was being played in America though, which is why it maintained the double-zero.
Opting for a single-zero Roulette wheel is truly among the best online roulette strategies, as it increases the odds of winning each bet when compared to the double-zero Roulette wheel. That being said, people still love a good betting system, which is why we’ve created an online Roulette guide explaining six systems that are still in play today.
THE MARTINGALE
The godfather of all these casino Roulette systems was born in France at roughly the same time the Roulette wheels started spinning. It’s cunning in its simplicity: Stick with the even real money bets (Red/Black, Odd/Even, High/Low), and double your play bet every time you lose. The idea is that you’ll win all your real money back eventually and be ahead one betting unit. But a losing streak could potentially drain your bankroll, or make you hit the casino table limit before you get a chance to recoup those losses.
THE LABOUCHÈRE
Also known as a Split Martingale, the Labouchère is also meant for even real money bets. Write down a series of numbers that represent units of how much you’ll bet online or live. For example, you could have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Start by adding together the first and last number for the number of betting units for the first round. In our example, you’d start with six betting units. Each time you win, scratch the first and the last number off the list. When you lose, add a number that is the number of betting units of your last bet; in our example, that would be 6. You’re taking away twice as many numbers when you win, so you’ll complete the entire line eventually, right? Again, the danger of this is that if you play long enough, you could be out of real money before you’re out of numbers.
THE D’ALEMBERT
Here’s one more crack at those even real money bets, named after French mathematician Jean le Rond d’Alembert (1717-1783). Start with a play bet size of one unit. Every time you win, subtract one unit to your bet size. Every time you lose, add one unit. This is one of the slower progressions you can use when you play Roulette casino games, but it still can’t beat the casino house edge that’s inevitable even with the best online Roulette casino games.
The Fibonacci
The Fibonacci betting system is based on the Fibonacci number sequence, which dates all the way back to 450 BC. This sequence progresses by adding together the previous two numbers listed in the sequence in order to come up with the next number. For example, 0+1=1, and 1+1=2. Here’s what the first eight numbers in the sequence are:
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13
This sequence is seen in nature and used in math, and as a result, casino game players have tested it out as a betting system for Roulette games. Before starting to play online or live, decide how much your betting units will be; it could be $5, or $10, just make sure that it starts low because the progression moves quickly. Each number in the sequence tells you how many units to bet. Start with 1, and stay there until you lose a round. When you lose a round, move up to the next number in the sequence. When you win a Roulette casino round, you move back down the sequence two spots. If there aren’t two spots available, restart the sequence.
The Paroli
The Paroli betting system involves increasing your play bets after wins, making it a positive Roulette betting system. The idea is that you capitalize on three-round win streaks. The progression lets you start with however much real money you want, and then if you win, you double it, and if you win again, you double again. After this second doubling, you return to the original bet and start the progression again. Say you wanted to start with $10; after a win, you increase your bet to $20, and if you win again, you increase your bet to $40. In this case, a simple three-round win streak will net you $70.
The Chaos
The Chaos betting system proposes fighting chaos with chaos in order to create a positive Roulette outcome. It is one of the only casino betting systems to not use the even-money bets; instead, you randomly bet on half of the numbers on the board, with varying bet sizes sprinkled throughout, thus creating disorder. Superstitious players hope that this chaotic style of betting will increase their odds of winning, but the reality is, the play odds for winning each bet don’t change based on the style of real money wager.
Which brings us to our online Roulette game betting systems disclosure. Although these Roulette systems are enjoyed by many casino players, online or live, it’s important to keep in mind that they don’t overcome the casinos' house edge built into the Roulette game. If using Roulette systems adds to the entertainment, then by all means go for it. Just be sure to stick to your bankroll play budget and tread carefully in the world of Roulette game betting systems. The best Roulette bets are ones you can afford.