Improving Your Odds at Roulette

 Roulette: How to Improve Your Odds

Keep in mind the long odds that this popular game is going to win. With a 5.26 percent house advantage on the American wheel, Roulette is one the worst casino bets. There are simple strategies that you can use to increase your bankroll while still enjoying the thrill of the roulette spin. This article will give you some tips to increase your chances for winning.

Let's start with the basics

You can increase your chances of winning by using strategy. You may notice that the first time you play roulette, players sprinkle the layout with chips. It might look like they are adding pepperoni slices to a pizza. You can place many different bets, as long as your maximum limits are not exceeded. This means that most players only make one bet at once.

It is obvious that the more you bet, the more complex and difficult it will be to follow the action. These are two ways to simplify the situation:

Play only outside bets and stick to the minimum amount at the table. For example, you could place a bet on black or red for each spin. This outside bet is 1 to 1, and covers 18 of 38 possible combinations.

Two bets of equal amount on two outside betting: one on an even money play and the second on a column or dozen that pay 2 to 1. You could, for example, bet one on black and one on Column Three (which has eight red numbers). You will have 26 numbers to hit. 4 of these you can cover twice. You can also place a wager on red, and then pair it with a Bet on Column Two that has eight black numbers. There are 26 numbers to cover, and 4 have two ways of winning. You can place a bet on either black or red with Column One (or any of the three dozens), and you will cover 24 numbers. 6 numbers have 2 ways to win. While this isn't a great way to make a lot of money, it can be a fun way to keep things interesting at your table.

Playing a European Wheel

A single-zero European roulette wheel will greatly increase your odds of winning. It has a house edge that is half as low as the American roulette wheel's 2.63 percent. A European wheel may be found in some of the more upscale Las Vegas casinos like Bellagio, Mirage and Caesars Palace. If it isn't on the floor, it may be hidden in the high-limit area, along with the baccarat and other tables. It is also possible to find single-zero wheels in other upscale casinos throughout the country.

En prison is a casino rule that increases your chances of winning. En prison rules are sometimes offered on the European roulette. They lower the house edge to a manageable 1.35 percent. This applies to even-money betting. Consider, for instance, a $10 bet on black. Your even-money bet does not win, but it is locked up for another spin if the ball hits zero. If the ball hits black on the next spin the house returns $10 of your original wager, but you do not win any. You lose if you land on red. If the ball lands on red, you lose.

About This Article

This article is taken from the book:

Casino Gambling For Dummies 2nd Edition

About the book authors. Kevin Blackwood is one the most successful Blackjack players in the world. He contributes to magazines such as Casino Player and Midwest Gaming and Travel. Blackwood was a semi finalist at the World Series of Blackjack. He also appeared as a guest on the World Blackjack Tour. Swain Scheps works as director of data and analytics platforms at Nike. He is a veteran sports gambler and an expert on the topic of gambling. He has been a guest speaker and instructor in Fodor's Las Vegas travel series. Roulette Software - Can You Beat and Cheat the Casino to Maximise Winnings?