The roulette strategies that work best
When one enters a casino the first question that comes to mind is: how can I make money at roulette? On this page we will analyze in detail the most popular roulette strategies between the players and we will check if they are really as effective as it seems.
Click on any of the items above to jump directly to the section that interests you the most where you will find all the necessary information for you to decide for yourself which one is the best roulette strategy . As you can see, we have also included a section of very useful tricks and another with the frequently asked questions of our users.
The best strategy for roulette
Unfortunately, none of the systems for betting on roulette is 100% effective, since this game is based entirely on chance. However, if you want to know how to win at roulette, we recommend our favorites, the Martingale strategies and James Bond , because they are the easiest and most fun to put into practice. You can get an idea of the effectiveness and simplicity of these and many other more systems in the table below:
| Strategy | Simplicity | Low risk * | Short-term | Long-term | Possible gain ** | Fun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martingale | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| James Bond | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Paroli | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| D'Alembert | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Labouchere | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fibonacci | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Hot numbers | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Defective roulettes | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Dealer launch | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
*It will depend on conditions external to the strategy, such as table limits and the player's budget
**It will depend on the amount and risk of the bet
All the strategies that we have collected above can be divided into three groups: progressive, non-progressive and physical systems. We have spent many hours putting them all into practice and we have expressed our most sincere opinion and an explanation of how they work in this review. If before learning how to win you need some basic notions about this game, you can stop by our page dedicated exclusively to roulette .
Progressive strategies
Progressive systems are any strategy in which the amount of the bet is increasing. As we have been able to verify since minkcafe.co , are the simplest and most common strategies among players and, in our opinion, also the most effective. Your bet will increase proportionally according to the result you get in each round to ensure that you recover any possible loss from the previous spins. Keep reading so that you can clearly see and with examples how these systems work.
Martingale
This system is considered by many to be the best strategy for roulette because it is, in addition to logic, incredibly simple and it is the one that brings the most benefits to players - as long as you have enough money and arm yourself with patience. To optimize the results of this system, we recommend using it in a casino that has very high table limits, even for simple bets. It would be best to play on the European or French roulette wheels with the Partage rule , which will keep the house edge at 2.70% instead of the American variant's 5.56%.
How does it work?
This method is a very useful roulette trick and basically consists of covering your back. It starts with a low and simple bet — i.e. red or black, odd or even, foul or check. If you get it right, bet the same amount again (let's say it's $5) until you lose. When this happens, double the amount (in this case, $10) and place a simple bet again. If you lose again, double the last amount again. So, when you win, you will have recouped what you bet plus a small profit. As you can see, it is a very slow strategy, but it can be effective if you are willing to play for a long time. And remember: always bet on simple luck.
Disadvantage
The big disadvantage of this system is if it has a really bad streak and you run out of funds or reach the maximum bet limit of that table. In that case, there is nothing you can do - you will have lost all the money you have bet. That is why we recommend that you always start with small bets and choose tables with a very high bet limit.
Summary: The Martingale strategy is a simple system that consists of placing a bet on simple lots and, if you lose, doubling it to get your money back in the next round. Watch out for maximum table limits!
James Bond
The idea of playing in a casino can evoke in many an image of large gambling halls in Monte Carlo with chandeliers and full of elegantly dressed men and women and, most likely, Agent 007 playing his own. Nothing could be further from the truth; however, you can bring a piece of the films of this British agent to your living room with the James Bond strategy.
| Betting | Benefit |
|---|---|
| 140$ to 19-36 | 80$ |
| 50$ to 16-18 | 100$ |
| 10$ to 0 | 160$ |
How does it work?
The ideal way to carry out this strategy is for the player to start with $200, which he will distribute in three different bets: $140 to the high numbers — that is, the group 19-36—, $50 to the line of six numbers between 13 and 18 and $10 to 0. With this system you cover a greater number of numbers that if you bet on red-black or even-odd and, therefore, it will slightly increase your chances of getting it right. If a number comes out between 1 and 12 and you lose the money bet, repeat the strategy and double the amounts, just as happened with the Martingale. Continue doubling the amounts until you win and get back what you bet. This type of roulette tricks should only be carried out if you have a high budget and you can afford to cover your losses if you are unlucky enough to suffer a bad streak.
Disadvantage:
The worst thing about this strategy is the same as with the Martingale: running out of money or reaching the maximum table limit before you get your money back. In addition, it is a disadvantage for players who like to jump from one number to another. Finally, the most disappointing one: even if you use this strategy, you are not James Bond and your chances of losing money with this system are the same as anyone else's.
Summary: Although this system sounds very sophisticated, like Agent 007, we do not recommend using it very often. The profits can be huge, yes, but to take the risk you will need to have a big budget.
Paroli
The difference between this system and the Martingale system is that, in this case, you have to doubling your bet after a winning spin until you win three rounds in a row or until you lose. The idea of this strategy is to accumulate a little extra money by winning three spins in which you have been betting higher amounts and then returning to your original bet. With the Paroli strategy, by doubling your bet only twice, you will have much more control over your money and it will allow you to win a little more.
How does it work?
This system, like most, uses bets on single lots; that is, even or odd, red or black or the numbers 1-18 or 19-36. You can bet a little more than usual without fear, especially if you take into account that the maximum bet will be four times the original. Place your card on the mat and double the amount if you win or play again for the same money if you lose . What is intended with the Paroli is to win three spins in a row by doubling the bet with each victory. Once you have won three times in a row or if you lose the spin, go back to the original bet and start again. The good thing about this system is that it can be used at tables with lower limits, since it does not require huge bets to recover losses from previous rounds.
Disadvantage
Finding a system that answers the question how to make money at roulette is very complicated; as with everyone, this strategy also has disadvantages: like the game of roulette, Paroli depends entirely on chance and you will only get benefits if you are lucky enough to win three rounds in a row. You may have to play for a long time until this happens, which means that, in the meantime, you can lose a lot of money without getting a profit in return.
Summary: The objective is to double your initial bet after a winning spin up to a maximum of three rounds; after three winning spins or after one with a loss, return to the initial bet and start again.
D'Alembert
Designed by the French mathematician Jean Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert, this system that bears his name is one of the lowest risk tricks that you will find on this page. It can be a very attractive method if you are a novice in this game or if you are a cautious player. Using this strategy effectively will require a good dose of patience , since you will have to change the amount bet in each round, whether you won the previous one, or not.
How does it work?
The strategy is very simple: start by betting $10, for example. It is best if you start with a small amount, because the winning percentage will be incredibly small with very high bets. Place a simple bet — red or black, odd or even, high or low numbers. If you win, reduce your bet by $1; if you lose, increase it by $1. This strategy is not at all difficult to carry out, although you may find it complicated and frustrating to constantly have to adapt your bet and a little discouraging to see such a small profit. Patience, once again, is the key to success; this method is not intended for those who like to see their funds grow by leaps and bounds; it is for those who enjoy a good game of roulette and like to try different tricks to bet.
Disadvantage
Although small increases in the bet will not make you bankrupt, or at least not immediately, the increase of $ 1 will not compensate for your losses either. With this system you will not make money unless you are terribly lucky and have a lot of time to put it into practice.
Summary: The d'Alembert system is simple: increase your bet by $1 after a loss and decrease it by the same amount after a win. It is a very slow strategy that will not bring you big profits.
Labouchere
The Labouchere strategy allows you to record your progress towards a profit goal that you have previously set for yourself. The idea is that you choose how much you want to win in the game, divide it into smaller amounts and try to get a small part in each round. For example, if the goal is to earn 20$, you can divide it into 2-2-4-2-4-4-2 . We have already warned you that, if you want to carry out this strategy, you should think about writing this down. It will be much easier for you!
How does it work?
The first thing you have to do is choose the amount you want to win in the game and divide it into smaller and more realistic amounts. Write them down in the table for this strategy that you will find on this page ; it will be incredibly useful to you. Add the figures of the first and last squares and place the result in a simple bet. If you win, cross both numbers off the list. If you lose, add them at the end, as you will now have to recover that loss if you want to reach your initial goal. Some players claim that you should write down the total amount you have bet on the list and not the two that you added to get it, but it seems to us a mistake: if you are unlucky enough to lose several times, you will end up adding much higher figures and you may reach the table limit or worse, that of your pocket. You will have to continue with this strategy until you cross out all the boxes on the list.
Disadvantage
This system can be used to try to win both high and lower amounts, but honestly, it seems to us that the most useful thing it has is that you can record your income and losses of the game. In short: it is not a very effective strategy, except maybe to know when you should stop playing . In addition, we do not recommend using it in physical establishments, since the dealer may not take it well that you hinder the development of the game to record each of the results.
Summary: Labouchere is designed for people who like to set a goal: set the amount you want to earn and divide it to get it step by step. Keep in mind that nothing guarantees that you will be able to cover all the numbers on the list.
Fibonacci
If you've always loved math, you've probably heard of the Fibonacci sequence of numbers. It appeared in the year 200 BC and is a list of numbers in which each is the sum of the previous two. However, this sequence did not receive the name it has until the Italian mathematician introduced the system in Europe. This series has now become a roulette strategy.
How does it work?
This system, like the Martingale and most tricks that we explain on the page, should be used in bets on simple lots. Its operation is as follows: choose an amount to play — one that is on the list, of course —, for example, $8. If you hit and win, see two numbers on the left. That is, you would have to bet $3 on the next round. If you lose, you see a number to the right; that is, for the next spin your bet would be $13. The principle of this system is simple and the same as in the others: recover with a bet what you have lost in the previous ones and ensure, by betting less after a victory, what you have just won. As you can see, the stakes are progressively increasing very slowly, and you will have to play for a long time if you want to get great benefits .
Disadvantage
A small disadvantage that we find to this system is that, when you win, you only receive the sum of the two previous bets as a prize. And, as with the other progressive systems, there may come a time when you run out of money if you suffer a bad streak. It also seems to us a rather slow and boring strategy.
Summary: The Fibonacci sequence has many mathematical applications, but, as far as roulette strategies are concerned, it is not the best. We do not recommend this system.
Other progressive systems
Of course, in addition to the ones we have explained on this page, there are many other progressive systems to play roulette , such as the Hollande Stile tactic, the Whittaker method, the Fitzroy system, and Goldstein's progression. All of them are similar to the ones we have just explained, both in their development and in the results and even in the disadvantages.
Non-progressive strategies
These types of strategies use sequences of numbers and statistics to try to predict the outcome of the next round. Unlike progressive systems, the bet amount does not change depending on the previous results. These types of systems are also known as flat bets. Players rely on the numbers that have already come out to try to guess the following .
Playing hot numbers
Playing hot numbers is much riskier than any of the tactics we have described above, since we are betting on a specific number and not on an entire section. We repeat that it is very difficult for you to make a lot of money with any tactics , but, with this one, it's even more complicated still.
How does it work?
This strategy basically consists of bet on the numbers that have not been out for a while . The idea is that all the numbers have to come out at some point, so if the ball has been rolling for a few times without falling into them, they have to be about to come out. This idea is based on the Law of Large Numbers, a theorem of probability theory according to which if we repeat the same experiment many times, the frequency of obtaining the same results is constant. Putting this system into practice requires a good dose of patience, effort and a lot of time, since you will have to play many rounds to determine which numbers have not come out yet. To help you with this follow-up task, you can download and print the table that we have prepared for you.
Disadvantage
The flaws of this tactic are obvious: the first thing is that writing down all the results of the game will not make you look very good in front of other players or the dealer if you play in a real casino, so we only recommend that you use it at home. Also, hitting a number alone is very, very complicated, so the best way to face this strategy is to make very small bets.
Summary: Also known as the Andrucci system, the strategy of playing hot numbers may seem very smart at first, but let's not forget that we are talking about a game of chance and there is no guarantee that a number that has not come out in a long time will be the winner.
Physical systems
Physical systems try to find faults in the roulette wheel or to look for clues in the way the dealer throws the ball to find clues and predict which numbers will come out. Of all the tactics we've seen, these are the most ineffective by far ; obviously, if you play online, they are completely useless. We cannot recommend any of these systems if you are trying to win money; however, it can be quite fun to observe the way the dealer throws or the failures of the cylinder and try to guess in which area the ball will fall.
Defective roulettes
This system can only be put into practice in traditional casinos where, in theory, the roulette wheel cylinders could be defective . These failures could have occurred in the manufacturing process or in the installation; or the cylinder may be poorly leveled, which could cause a certain range of numbers to win more often. However, it takes a lot of time and a lynx view to be able to detect some kind of tilt or failure in a roulette wheel that serves to tip the balance in your favor when betting. And, of course, casinos are always very careful with their facilities and their games; they constantly check their tables to correct any small flaws that there might be.
Summary: It does not seem to us the best roulette strategy at all: it can only be used in traditional casinos, and besides, it is of dubious reliability.
Dealer launch
Some professionals usually use a somewhat unusual system: to observe the dealer closely to know how he throws the ball, at what speed both the ball and the cylinder rotate; with all this information they intend to find out in which section it will fall. It may sound like Christian Kaisan, famous roulette player who used this method; although, let's all be said, he spent three years of his life studying this method before venturing to make a single bet. In general, there are so many factors that can alter the result that it is practically impossible to come up with an exact result .
Summary: This tactic may work for some lucky people, but most likely you will end up losing your money with it. It is better to bet on the numbers, which never change, than based on the dealer's throwing style, which can vary from round to round.
Some tips to keep in mind
Here are some tips that we consider very useful and very valuable for anyone who launches to play roulette, regardless of experience; some of them can even be applied to other casino games. Some of them may seem obvious to you, but we have considered it appropriate to repeat them because many users forget them, especially when using tactics. Keep these four tips in mind when playing a few games of roulette :
If you keep these four tips in mind, we are sure that you will have an unforgettable time playing roulette. Our page is dedicated to all those who enjoy the excitement that these casino games bring us. However, if what we intend with them is to earn money or solve economic problems of any kind, we run the risk of losing much more than we intended to win and suffer major headaches. If you are a fan of this game, and especially if what you like playing with high limits , these tips are even more important.
Interesting and very useful resources
In this review we have gone over many tricks to play roulette and you may still feel overwhelmed at so much new information. Therefore, and to make it easier for you to put some of them into practice, we have prepared this section with useful resources that you can download and use completely free of charge . Prepare the pen and put into practice everything you have learned today with us!
Tables to download
Below you have a couple of downloadable tables to put the Labouchere and the Hot Numbers tactics into practice. Download the PDF files to your computer, print them and fill them out while you play. They will be extremely useful for you to write down the results of each spin so that you don't have to remember all the details by heart.
Download the PDF
Download the PDF
These roulette strategies are not our favorites, although some players are confident in their usefulness. However, if you let us give you some advice, we recommend that you try martingale or the James Bond . But don't let us tell you about it. Try them out for yourself and decide which one is the best to win.
Roulette glossary
As with any unknown topic, you are sure to find terminology related to this game that you have never heard. That is why we have prepared this glossary, to help you understand the terms that are unfamiliar to you and that you can understand this game perfectly.
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- Odd/Even Betting To bet on the pairs is to place the bet on the even numbers of the cloth. To bet on the odd ones is to place it on the odd ones.
- Bet on Red / Black To bet on red is to place the bet on the numbers that are in a red box. To bet on black, is to place it on the numbers that are in a black box.
- Outside bet See Simple bet.
- Internal bet The one that is made to an individual number or to a small group of numbers. The payouts are higher than in outside bets, but the chances of getting it right are lower.
- Simple bet Also known as an outside bet, this type of bet is the one with which you have the most chances of winning. There are six options, which are red or black, odd or even, 1-18 or 19-36.
- Random They are those little diamond-shaped pieces in the lower part of the roulette cylinder, just above the number boxes. Its function is to interrupt the trajectory of the ball and contribute to the randomness of the game.
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- Box The numbered red, black and green cells into which the roulette wheel cylinder is divided are called squares.
- Dealer From the French "croupier". He is the casino employee in charge of dealing the cards, spinning the roulette wheel, controlling the bets and directing the game in general. .
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- The Partage This is a rule present in many French variants, where if a player has made a simple bet and the ball lands on zero, the player will receive half of his bet back.
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- American Roulette A roulette modality in which the cylinder has two green squares: the zero and the double zero, compared to the French and European versions they only have the zero. In this modality the house has a greater advantage, so we recommend that you avoid it whenever you can because you have less chances of winning.
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- Physical system Any strategy based on the physical elements of the game, such as the cylinder, the ball or the dealer.
- Non-progressive system Any strategy that uses sequences of numbers and statistics to try to predict the outcome of the next round. The bet amount is always the same and does not vary depending on the previous results, unlike in progressive systems.
- Progressive system A betting strategy in which the amount of the bet increases progressively as the game progresses.
- Simple luck A little-known way of referring to simple or external bets. They are the ones with the highest probability of winning and include red, black, even, odd, 1-18 and 19-36.
Frequently asked questions
In our doubts and suggestions mailbox we receive many questions about roulette; more than about any other casino game. Maybe it's because, despite the fact that it is one of the simplest games, at first it can become overwhelming for new players who do not yet know the rules. Below we have collected the most common ones.
What number comes out most often in roulette?
The roulette reel is divided into 37 squares — or 38, if you play in the American mode. They all measure exactly the same, which means that there is an equal chance that the ball will fall into any of them. Take a look at the hot numbers strategy so you can see how you can try to predict which box it's going to land on.
What are the odds that the little ball will land on a black number?
The probability of landing on black is 48.65% in European and French roulette and 47.37% in American roulette. This difference is due to the fact that the American version it has two boxes with the 0.
How can I win at roulette?
The million dollar question. There are many tricks to try to increase profits in roulette, but there is not one that is the definitive one. Each one, according to their way of playing and their budget and, above all, their tastes, is more attracted by one than the other. On this page we present to you a table with all the strategies along with their advantages and disadvantages so you can see which ones work best.
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