How to play Roulette

How to play roulette and win

There is a good reason why every casino player has at least once tried his hands at roulette. Apart from its iconic stature among other casino games, the high pace and fairly simple rules make it an intriguing choice to amateurs and a favorite among casino regulars. Despite however of our most humble intentions to simply have some fun while playing, our competitive nature forces us to try and win at any game we take part in.

What is truly fascinating in roulette is that winning is not only a question of luck but also a matter of careful and calculated series of bets. This guide focuses on how to play roulette in order to maximize your profits and understand some well-hidden roulette secrets.

Play at the best roulette tables

Roulette table odds & chances

Roulette is a game of numbers so there’s no way around this, we have to talk math. We all know and understand how a roulette table is split and what are the various bets you can place. Let’s see what the various percentages and payouts are:

Type of bet	European Roulette Payout	European Roulette Percentage	American Roulette Payout	American Roulette Percentage
Single number	35/1	2.7%	35/1	2.63%
Even/Odd	1/1	48.6%	1/1	46.37%
Red/Black	1/1	48.6%	1/1	46.37%
1-18/19-36	1/1	48.6%	1/1	46.37%
1-12/13-24/25-36	2/1	32.4%	2/1	31.58%
2 number combination	17/1	5.4%	17/1	5.26%
3 number combination	11/1	8.1%	11/1	7.89%
4 number combination	8/1	10.85	8/1	10.53%
6 number combination	5/1	16.2%	5/1	15.79%
0, 00, 1, 2, 3 Combination	–	–	6/1	13.16%

What clearly becomes evident is that the European Roulette offers better odds compared to its American counterpart. This means that our best move is to always play at European roulette tables.

High stakes & low stakes roulette betting strategies

2 to 1 Columns + Red Strategy

This is considered one of the safest online roulette strategies and a favorite among high stakes rollers. You place three different bets. Two equal stake on the columns and another, double that size, on Red. Let’s say we will bet a total of €40.

• We place €10 on the First column: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34
• We place €10 on the Second column: 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, 35
• We place €20 on Red

The reason we split our stakes this way is that the third column, unlike the other two, has 8 Red numbers. This means that if we hit one of the first two columns, we win €30 and get 75% of our original stake. If the ball stops at a red number from the third column we get all of our stakes back. What we are looking for is to hit a red from one of the first two columns that will award us €70, for a profit of 75%. Although it is impossible to win in every spin, the increased chances of red paying us, offers a small, yet important advantage.

Kavouras bet

This strategy has lately increased in popularity due to a simple fact. It offers a theoretical 54% winning percentage on every roulette ball spin. Here’s how to use it:

1. You place one unit at the corner that covers 0, 1, 2, 3
2. Two units on the double street covering 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36
3. One unit on these splits: 8/11 – 13/14 – 15/18 – 17/20 – 27/30

The amount you will stake is up to you, however, you must make sure to follow the same staking plan and not increase or lower your bet. The total number of units equals 8, while your payouts are as listed:

1. The corner bet awards 9 units | You win 1 unit
2. The double street awards 12 units | You win 4 units
3. Any of the splits awards 18 units | You win 10 units

Once again we must point out the fact that it is impossible to win on every single roulette spin. However, we have covered 20 out of the total 37 numbers that will always award us a small increase to our stake.

Oscar’s Grind

This is similar to the D’ Alembert progressive staking system and requires that you place your bets on outcomes with 1/1 odds (red/black, even/odds numbers). It is split into four different stages. You start with one unit and increase your stake by adding another unit every time you win. When you reach stage 4, you will either start the session from stage one by betting one unit or stand up from the table and keep your profits. Should you lose, you must not increase your stake higher than four units. Let’s see this one on a short example:

• Bet 1 unit and lose
• Bet 1 unit and lose
• Bet 1 unit and win
• Bet 2 unit and win

After we’ve completed the 4 stages we stand with +1 unit profit. Our next move would be to start the cycle from step one by betting 1 unit. Now let’s check a longer example.

• Bet 1 unit and lose
• Bet 1 unit and win
• Bet 2 unit and lose
• Bet 2 unit and lose
• Bet 2 unit and lose
• Bet 2 unit and win
• Bet 3 unit and win
• Bet 4 unit and lose
• Bet 4 unit and win
• Bet 4 unit and win

This time we managed to get +3 units as a profit. It is entirely up to you if you will complete the last two stages (as we have completed two full cycles) or stand up from the table and leave with your winnings.

Roulette strategy questions and answers

It is only logical that you will still have many questions on how to play roulette, as the game is easy to learn but can take years to master.

Why do I need a strategy if it all comes down to luck?

There’s no denying that luck plays a major role in every game of chance. The point of using is strategy is to limit the long term influence of luck by utilizing clear statistical patterns.

How much money do I need at a roulette table?

It comes down to how much you can afford to spend and what strategy you will implement. If for example, you are using a progressive staking system like the Martingale, then you should sit with a large bankroll. On the other hand, if you like placing single number bets with a standard stake, then you can try your luck with only a few chips.