In the second instalment in this series looking into the casino classic that is roulette I thought I should cover the various betting strategies that can be employed to improve your odds of winning. If you haven’t read part one yet, you can read it here.

It took a lot of time and effort to convince my boss to go for this and you can all thank me later when you win big! As always, this post is only for information purposes and it isn’t a recommendation in any way, only wager what you can afford to lose and never try to bet big to recoup your losses and with that said, let’s have a look into how we can get rich!

Martingale

This is by far the most common betting strategy and if you happen to have a friend that is always talking about their “fool-proof system” this is probably what they are talking about. To be fair, done correctly, this strategy is almost unbeatable, but as a veteran let me tell you first hand, you should never underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.

This strategy is best used on European roulette, this type of roulette has only one green pocket (0) as opposed to American roulette which has two (0 and 00). This will keep the house edge at 2.70% as opposed to the 5.56% advantage in American variants.

This strategy is actually very simple. Place an even money bet on red, black, even or odd. it is best to make your initial bet small, especially if you are new to this betting strategy. If you win the bet, continue betting the same amount on even money bets until you lose a spin. When this happens simply double your bet to cover your losses. This way when you win again, you will have made your money back in addition to a small profit.

There is only one consideration when using this strategy and that is to check that the table has a high outside bet limit. Otherwise if you hit a losing streak you may reach the betting limit from redoubling your bet and you won’t be able to make it back.

Anti-Martingale

This lesser known betting strategy, also known as the reverse martingale is exactly what you would expect it to be. The anti-martingale approach increases bets after wins, while reducing them after a loss. The thinking behind it is that the gambler will benefit from a winning streak or a “hot hand”, while reducing losses while “cold” or otherwise having a losing streak. Now this strategy is more of a gut-feeling or instinctive betting strategy as opposed to relying on mathematical probability and odds. Some people love it, some people hate it. It’s not something that I would try personally but I think it warrants a mention on this list.

James Bond Strategy

For this strategy players will ideally start with £200. This is split into three different bets. £140 on the high numbers or 19-36, £50 on the six line 13-18 and £10 on the number zero. This can be scaled up or down as fits your wallet, but £200 is traditional for true devotees. This strategy covers more numbers than a simple red or black or even or odd bet and slightly increases your chances of winning. If a number from 1-12 is spun and you lose your bet, the strategy is continued, and the same bet is doubled following the Martingale system. The bet should be continually doubled until the turn is won and your bet is returned. This strategy should only be used if your funds are extensive enough to cover a long losing streak or you will lose all of the money you have bet.

The James Bond betting strategy has the same flaws as Martingale: the possibility of hitting the betting limits before winning back your money. In addition to this, the set betting numbers might feel a little restrictive to players who like to jump around, anticipating the movements of the wheel. The final flaw with this plan is that you are not James Bond and are just as likely to lose money using this strategy as anyone else.

The big takeaway from this system is that although it might sound cool, like a 007 Halloween costume, it shouldn’t be used very often. There is potential for big wins with this strategy but you’d need to have a very healthy bank balance behind you to take the risk.

Paroli

Of course you could also choose inside bets when playing with the Paroli strategy, although it is easier and more typical to go for the very outside bets, such as red/black, even/odd or 1-18/19-36.

At first you have to decide what kind of starting bet you want to play with every round. If you lose, you will just place the exact same bet again. If you win, you will leave your starting bet plus your win on the roulette layout for the next coup – this is the first progression. If you win once more, you will again leave your bet plus winnings on whatever you placed your bet on. If you keep doing this and continue to be successful for a while, the amount of chips will increase quickly.

It’s best to decide before the game starts how many progressions you want to go for, before you stop and take your winnings. The more progressions you risk, the more you’ll naturally win, but it also makes the losing streak until your next win a lot longer.

The Paroli roulette system basically works the other way around – the progressions happen after a winning round, so you double your bet after you win. On first sight it tends to look like you don’t need to use much money out of your own pocket, because you are mostly playing with the capital of the bank. However, we will soon see why this is not just more than a comforting illusion.

If you want to use the Paroli roulette strategy in a real casino you should let the croupier know about it, by telling them how many Paroli progressions you want to do. This is important so they know who the bet and win on the layout belongs to, and also that it shouldn’t be removed until after a certain amount of rounds. When playing Paroli roulette online, you have to place the bets yourself after every round. If you get a little confused you can always take a look at the image below that displays the course / layout of the game.

D’alembert

Designed by French mathematician Jean Baptiste le Rond d’Alembert, the D’Alembert system is one of the lower risk strategies you will find on this page which may appeal if you are new to a roulette system or if you are a more cautious gambler. Using this system effectively will require a lot of patience as it requires an incremental change to the wagered amount with each bet, win or lose so for those that are looking to get rich quick, this isn’t for you.

The strategy is simple, if a little frustrating, start with your chosen bet, I’d recommend starting with a smaller bet, perhaps even just $1 as your profit percentage will be incredibly small with larger bets. Place your wager on an outside bet – even, odd, red or black. If you win a spin, decrease your bet by $1, if you lose, increase your bet by $1. This roulette betting system isn’t hard to remember though it can feel a bit laborious having to adjust your bet each and every turn and a bit disheartening seeing such a small return on your bets. The key here is patience, this system is not designed for those who want to see big wins fast, it is for players who love roulette and like experimenting with different betting styles.

The good thing about this strategy is the same as the bad. you will only ever make very small incremental changes, so you wont run out of money quickly but it’s also unlikely that you will be able to make a lot either. This strategy is good for someone who wants to extend their play time, maybe you are waiting for your friend who refuses to leave the casino or maybe you have already lost big at a different game, this will keep you having fun and keep you in the game for longer.

There are a lot of different ways to play roulette and a lot of different reasons to utilise a betting strategy. I’ve shown you some of the best and most common strategies. Test them out and let me know how it went. Good Luck!