If you run an Internet search for ‘roulette tips’, your search engine will present you with plenty of options – some results more valuable than others. Many of these roulette tips are rehashed from one site to the next, masquerading as unique content. Much of the content that peppers Internet search results is written by people who don't even play roulette. This guide was compiled by roulette experts who understand the inner mechanics of online roulette and land-based roulette games.
Tips to play roulette can only help you if you understand the rules of roulette. Before we begin, it's important to point out that every single casino game has a built in house edge. Without this, casinos would go out of business. The house edge and the RTP (Return to Player) are flip sides of the same coin. As one increases, the other decreases, and vice versa. This roulette guide is structured for players of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced players.
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Roulette Tips for Beginners
Roulette is a dazzling casino game. It is French for ‘Little Wheel’, but there is nothing small about this game’s impact on the casino world. It is for all intents and purposes the poster child of Las Vegas casinos, and arguably the most popular casino table game of them all.
A ‘Wheel of Fortune’ of sorts, roulette presents players with a multitude of betting possibilities, each with tremendous winning potential. Roulette is essentially a game of chance. Players have a variety of betting options available, including inside bets and outside bets. Our roulette tips guide begins with an introduction to the 3 major variants of roulette.
• European Roulette – the industry standard roulette game with numbers 0-36. Players have a 1/37 chance of calling the correct number on any given spin. The house edge is 2.70%, and the RTP is 97.30%. European Roulette is a single-zero game.
• French Roulette – the ‘haute couture’ of fashionable roulette played in Europe and around the world. French Roulette is widely regarded as a high-class variant of the game, with a unique French ‘mise en scene’, replete with French wording and design.
This single-zero game is similar in many respects to European Roulette. There are numbers 0-36 on the wheel, and players have a 1/37 chance of calling the correct number on any given spin.
However, French Roulette features two unique rules – La Partage & En Prison. These reduce the house edge on spins when a player has an even money bet and the ball lands on the green 0. The house edge in French Roulette can be as low as 1.35%.
• American Roulette – a rousing table game enjoyed in Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Monaco, Macau, and well beyond. American Roulette proudly sports it's red, white, and blue heritage all over the world. A game peppered with betting options, American Roulette features 0 and 00.
There are 38 numbers on the American Roulette wheel, including 0, 00, 1-36. Players have a 1/38 chance of landing the right number on any given spin. The RTP is 94.74%, and the house edge is markedly higher at 5.26%.
Tip #1 – Pick the Right Roulette Variant
As a roulette player on a limited budget, your objectives are twofold: Get maximum bang for your buck on every play, and stretch your dollar as far as it can go. From a statistical perspective alone, it makes sense to pick your roulette games in the following order:
• French Roulette – the lowest house edge at 1.35%
• European Roulette – a competitive house edge at 2.70%
• American Roulette – the highest house edge at 5.26%
RTPs are calculated over at least 1 million spins. As a theoretical concept, the RTP is important insofar as it illustrates how much you stand to win or lose during a gaming session. For example, a $100 budget should result in a net loss of $1.35 on French Roulette, $2.70 on European Roulette, and $5.26 on American Roulette.
Be advised that RTPs are not guaranteed in the short-term. A player can burn through a roulette bankroll within seconds, or land consecutive, straight-up selections during a lucky spell. Over the long-term however, the RTPs should be used as a guide to carefully select the right roulette variants to play.
Tip #2 – Practice Roulette Online – Inside Bets and Outside Bets
Too many beginner players immerse themselves in games of roulette, without practicing online first. The danger in this methodology is that you will burn through your bankroll without ever understanding what went wrong.
While roulette is a game of chance, there are certain bets that have a greater probability of coming good than others. Careful and methodical bet placement can yield improved outcomes in roulette games.
Let’s take a look at roulette tips and tricks for inside bets and outside bets:
• Inside Bets – think of inside bets like the bull's-eye on a dartboard. It's tough to hit that target, but if you do, you get maximum payout potential. Inside bets are selections on individual numbers, or groups of numbers. Straight up bets on single numbers have a payout of 35:1, but the odds of hitting a single number are 1/37 in European Roulette and French Roulette, and 1/38 in American Roulette.
Important: The house edge is the difference between the true odds and the odds the player receives. In European and French Roulette, the true odds are 37:1 (because there are 37 numbers), but players only get 35:1. In American Roulette the true odds are 38:1 (because there are 38 numbers), but players only get 35:1. That's why American Roulette has a much higher house edge!
• Outside Bets – think of outside bets like everything else around the bull's-eye. It's much easier to hit quadrants of the dartboard than the red center circle. Granted, this is an oversimplification of outside bets, but you understand the parallel. The outside bets are literally the bets on the outside of the roulette betting deck. They include red/black, odd/even, 1-18/19-36, columns (First 12, Second 12, Third 12), et al. Since these outcomes are far more likely to occur, the payouts are smaller.
Tip #3 – Roulette Bet Payouts, Bet Probabilities, and Roulette House Edge
In European Roulette games, the house edge is 2.70% irrespective of the probability of the bet coming good. Whether you bet on Single Numbers, Split Numbers, Street Bets, Square Bets, Corner Bets, Six Line Bets, Column Bets, Dozen Bets, Red or Black, Odd or Even, High or Low, the house edge remains 2.70%.
There is absolutely no way, shape, or form to reduce the house edge in European Roulette games. What you can do is select the bets with the highest bet probability. This is one of the most important tips for playing roulette.
These are the highest European Roulette bet probabilities:
• High or Low bets – 48.64% – payout of 1:1
• Odd or Even bets – 48.64% – payout of 1:1
• Red or Black bets - 48.64% – payout of 1:1
These are the highest French Roulette bet probabilities:
• High or Low bets – 48.64% – payout of 1:1
• Odd or Even bets – 48.64% – payout of 1:1
• Red or Black bets - 48.64% – payout of 1:1
*Recall that La Partage and En Prison can reduce the house edge to 1.35%, by forfeiting 50% of the bet on La Partage when 0 lands and an even-money bet has been placed, or imprisoning the player’s bet until the next spin with La Partage.
These are the highest American Roulette bet probabilities:
• High or Low bets – 46.37% – payout of 1:1
• Odd or Even bets – 46.37% – payout of 1:1
• Red or Black bets - 46.37% – payout of 1:1
Roulette Tips for Intermediate-Level Players
Intermediate-level players already have an innate understanding of roulette rules, roulette variants, and roulette payouts. The best casino roulette tips for intermediate players encompass peripheral issues such as identifying biased roulette wheels, roulette bankroll management, curbing emotionally-based decision-making in roulette, and understanding roulette etiquette at bricks and mortar casinos et al.
As an intermediate-level roulette player, you invariably know that French Roulette has the best odds, and that outside bets are most likely to yield payouts. Beyond basic roulette tips, regular players understand the nuances of the game more than most.
Over the years, roulette wheels at land-based casinos have yielded results that favored specific quadrants of the wheel. These biased roulette wheels allow savvy players to place bets on ‘smaller sections’ of the wheel which have shown a greater propensity for generating favorable returns.
TIP #1 – Spot the Biased Wheel & Bet on Numbers in a Quadrant
Since roulette numbers are grouped in a specific format, a sharp player can spot a biased roulette wheel and limit betting to those groups of numbers which disproportionately come good. Recall that every single spin should yield a random result.
Professional roulette players understand that there is zero correlation between spins; any number can come up at any time, any number of times, although the statistical probability of such a result diminishes with each subsequent iteration. When considering tips to playing roulette, take note that there are no biased roulette wheels in online roulette games.
TIP #2 - Roulette Bankroll Management
Money management should commence at beginner level, but most beginners don't plan on extended playing sessions beyond a couple of bucks here and there. As an intermediate-level roulette player, you are already familiar with the flow of the game. Bankroll management is a deliberate action.
By allocating funds to roulette gaming sessions, it is possible to plan ahead. It is strongly advised to limit roulette bets to a fraction of the available bankroll amount to allow for affordable gaming sessions. Take regular breaks to prevent rash decision making, and never gamble more than you can afford to lose.
TIP #3 – Play Roulette the Right Way
Roulette players understand that there are certain norms and practices that are generally accepted at land-based casinos. For example, obnoxious behavior is frowned upon. It is impolite to shove chips past other players, or to past money to the dealer from hand to hand. Cash should be placed on the table, and the dealer will deposit the cash into the table and hand the player a set of colored chips.
Once the dealer calls no more bets, players are no longer permitted to place chips on inside bets and outside bets. As an intermediate-level player, it is important to separate your emotions from your gameplay. Hot streaks and cold streaks can occur in gaming, as they can in sport, and in life. Set a target, stick to it, and learn to walk away. If you continue playing, ultimately the casino will win.
Roulette Tips for Advanced Players
Advanced roulette players are masters of the game. They understand that the gobbledygook sold by snake oil salesmen such as roulette betting systems simply don't work. Much is made of Martingale, Reverse Martingale, Labouchere, D’Alembert, and the James Bond system, but none of them are designed to increase your chances of winning. Roulette is a game of chance. At most, they are glorified budget management systems, but they do nothing to increase your chances of winning.
The house edge in American roulette, European Roulette, and French roulette cannot be changed, irrespective of the roulette betting system you are using. As an advanced player, your focus shifts to gaining advantage wherever you can. For this, it is imperative to assess the merits of land-based roulette versus online roulette. Let’s take a look at some online roulette tips.
Tip #1 - Live Roulette and Chat Roulette Tips
The margins are small over the long term. The house edge in French roulette is 1.35%, in European roulette its 2.70%, and in American roulette, it's 5.26%. Cost-cutting measures are a critical component of driving up the bottom line. Advanced roulette players understand that online roulette offers players the 3C's – Cost, Comfort, and Convenience.
Traditional casinos require planning, vacation time, and substantial expense – none of which is included in the actual gaming budget. With online casinos, 100% of your designated entertainment budget can be directed at the actual game of roulette, not peripheral expenses such as travel, lodging, food, and associated expenses.
Chat roulette tips are possible in live roulette games, where players can enjoy an authentic Vegas-style roulette experience, direct from home. Licensed and regulated casinos now feature dedicated live dealer games with Live Roulette dealers (European Roulette, French Roulette, American Roulette, 3D Roulette, et al).
These dealers routinely shoot the breeze with players, and are eager to engage with VIPs, and regular players alike. Players who enjoy their personal space will prefer live dealer roulette, since players can see dealers but dealers can't see players. It's the ideal fusion of maximized privacy and social interaction.
Tip #2 – Roulette Bonuses and Promotional Offers
Advanced players are quick to spot live roulette bonuses, online roulette promotional offers, and daily deals at the roulette tables. The astute player is acutely aware of the terms and conditions associated with these roulette bonuses and promotional offers.
It is foolhardy to choose a roulette bonus with difficult to satisfy T&C. fortunately, there are proverbial diamonds in the rough for roulette players in terms of promotional offers. Due diligence is recommended to under the best bonuses and promotional offers.
Tip #3 – Never Play the 5 Number Bet in American Roulette
In American Roulette, there is an appealing bet selection known as the 5 number bet. This is a bet on the numbers 0-00-1-2-3. Believe it or not, it has the worst odds and the least profitable payout of all the roulette bets. This bet pays 6:1, but it has a 7.89% house advantage and it’s definitely a roulette tip you will want to remember. Otherwise known as the topline bet, you should avoid it like the insurance bet in blackjack games!.