Remember to stay realistic about the long odds on this popular game of chance. Approach roulette with the sober realization that, with a house advantage of 5.26 percent on the American wheel, roulette is among the worst bets in a casino. Despite the odds, you can still use some simple strategies to stretch your roulette bankroll and enjoy the thrill of the spin. This article contains a few tips that can help you improve your chances of winning.
Our list of roulette strategies is quite long so what we’re going to do here is list all of the different systems that are aimed towards Red and Black betting. It’s important to remember that Red and Black have exactly the same odds as Odd/Even and 1-18/19-36. In number ranges from 1 to 10 and 19 to 28, odd numbers are red and even are black. In ranges from 11 to 18 and 29 to 36, odd numbers are black and even are red. There is a green pocket numbered 0 (zero). In American roulette, there is a second green pocket marked 00.
Roulette is a drain on your wallet simply because the game doesn’t pay what the bets are worth. With 38 numbers (1 to 36, plus 0 and 00), the true odds of hitting a single number on a straight-up bet are 37 to 1, but the house pays only 35 to 1 if you win! Ditto the payouts on the combination bets. This discrepancy is where the house gets its huge edge in roulette.
Starting with the basics
Strategy is critical if you want to increase your odds of winning. The first time you play roulette, the players sprinkling the layout with chips may look as if they’re heaping pepperoni slices on a pizza. You can make many different bets as long as you stay within the table’s maximum limits. Consequently, few players make just one bet at a time.
Of course, the more bets you make, the more complicated and challenging it is to follow all the action. Here are two possible plans of attack to simplify matters:
- Stick to the table minimum and play only the outside bets. For example, bet on either red or black for each spin. This type of outside bet pays 1 to 1 and covers 18 of the 38 possible combinations.
- Place two bets of equal amounts on two outside bets: one bet on an even-money play and the other on a column or dozen that pays 2 to 1. For example, place one bet on black and one bet on Column Three, which has eight red numbers. That way, you have 26 numbers to hit, 4 of which you cover twice. You can also make a bet on red and pair it with a bet on Column Two, which has eight black numbers. Again, you cover 26 numbers, and 4 of them have two ways to win. Pairing a bet on either red or black with Column One (or on one of the three dozens) covers 24 numbers, and 6 numbers have two ways of winning. Spreading bets like this won’t make you rich, but it does keep things interesting at the table.
Playing a European wheel
If you happen to find a single-zero European wheel, you greatly improve your odds: The house edge is half that of roulette with the American wheel — only 2.63 percent. You may see a European wheel at one of the posh Vegas casinos, such as Bellagio, Mirage, or Caesars Palace. If you can’t find one on the floor, it’s probably tucked away in the high-limit area along with the baccarat tables, so you may need to ask. You can also find the single-zero wheel at some other upscale casinos around the country.
Because casinos set aside the European wheel for high rollers, you’re likely to find a higher table minimum, say $25. But because the house edge is half that of a double-zero wheel, the European wheel is the better roulette game to play for bigger bettors.
Your chances of winning get even better if the casino offers an advantageous rule called en prison. Sometimes available on the European wheel, the en prison rule lowers the house edge even further to a reasonable 1.35 percent. The rule applies to even-money bets. For example, say you have a $10 bet riding on black. If the ball lands on zero, your even-money bet doesn’t win or lose but remains locked up for one more spin. If the ball lands on black on the next spin, the house returns your original bet of $10, but you don’t win anything. If the ball lands on red, you lose. And if the ball repeats the zero number again, your bet stays imprisoned for another round.
Today we have another reader question about winning roulette with red and black bets. If you read on Gamblerspro.com regularly, you’ll know that we like to answer reader questions on different gambling subjects.
Here’s the email we received:
Hi,
My name is Jake, and I’m from Los Angeles. I’m writing today to ask about how to win roulette playing red and black.
I’ve been playing for a while, and I know this is an even-money bet. Are there any strategies for winning consistently by making red and black bets?
Any insight you could share is appreciated.
Cheers,
Jake Scopito
What is Red and Black in Roulette?
Odds For Roulette
In case you don’t already know, red/black is one of the bets you can make while playing roulette.
This is what’s called an even-money bet. It’s called that because you can double your money if you win. For example, let’s say you gamble £10 on red/black and win. Your balance will not be £20. That’s how even-money bets work.
Other even-money bets include odds/evens and highs/lows.
In European roulette, the odds of winning an even-money bet are 48.6%. When you play American roulette, your odds of winning become 47.4%.
Why don’t you have a 50:50 chance of winning a red or black roulette bet? Because of the green zero pocket. Your odds of winning are slightly better in European roulette because you have the second green zero pocket to account for in American variants.
American Roulette Odds
To make red/black bets, place your chips on either the red or black diamonds on the roulette table before the dealer closes the betting window and spins the wheel. When the spin finishes, any payouts you are due will be made automatically.
How to Win at Roulette (Red or Black Bets)
There are a few roulette betting strategies which you can use with red or black bets.
The Martingale
This roulette system works by doubling down on losing red or black bets.
For example, if you lose a £10 bet on red, you can make a £20 bet on red or black next. If you lose that bet, make a £40 bet, then an £80 bet, and so on until you win. Eventually, you win back all your losses plus the value of your original stake.
There are a couple of issues with this system. First, you can only use it on red or black and other even-money bets. Second, the losses can grow so fast that it scares many players off before a win comes. Lastly, you can hit a table limit which means you can’t double down again.
The Martingale system can work temporarily, but it won’t help you win roulette by placing red or black bets every time. You’ll have to be prepared to take a large loss every once in a while to use this system.
The Reverse Martingale
Roulette Odds Black
With this system, you again place red or black bets, but you do the opposite of what you did when using the Martingale system.
After a win, you need to double your bet again. Using the same example as above, you would bet £10 and win £20. On the second bet, wager the £20, and if you’re lucky, you’ll win £40. Wager £40 this time, and if lady luck gives you a lucky streak of three, you’re up to £80.
Roulette Odds Red Black
Most experienced roulette players will advise you to stop at this point. Asking for more than three wins in a row is pushing your luck. If you want bigger wins, it’s advised to start with a bigger first bet such as £50 or £100.
The advantage of this system is that you can only lose your original wager plus the house money you have won. If you don’t view it as your money until you have cashed it out, these losses can be a lot easier to take psychologically. The major disadvantage of this system is that it only takes one loss to wipe out all of your wins plus to original wager.
Roulette Red and Black Bets – Conclusion
Roulette Odds Colors
In the final analysis, the odds of roulette reign supreme. You can try all of the different betting systems and strategies you want, but your odds of winning a red or black bet on European roulette are 48.6%, and that is a mathematical fact. It doesn’t matter whether you’re playing in Vegas, in a live dealer casino online, or are playing video roulette – the odds are the same.
Have fun and try the different red and black betting systems, but don’t be fooled – the house always wins roulette in the end. If you get lucky, have the sense to walk away while you’re ahead.
Best Odds In Roulette
Thanks for writing to us, Jake! We hope this post has answered your question.