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Roulette Tips

A standard double-0 wheel game has a colossal house edge of 5.26%, excluding the five number bet (0, 00, 1, 2, 3), that carries a whopping 7.89% edge. When the 00 is eliminated, the house edge decreases to a more respectable 2.70.

European-rules Roulette, with the single-0 wheel, offers a surrender-type option called the ‘en prison’ rule. If a player places an even money bet (red/black, odd/even, 1-18, 19-36) and the ball lands on zero, the player can either get half the bet back (a surrender) or imprison the bet. If the imprisoned bet “hits” on the next spin, the full bet amount is given back to the player without any winnings. What if the next spin is once again a zero? There are actually different rules in European casinos. Some casinos keep the bet imprisoned until a non-zero spin hits; some casinos consider this a loss; some casinos return half the bet (like a surrender); and some even call this a double-imprisonment, which means a non-zero hit must occur twice before returning the bet. But the player has the option to take the surrender, getting back half the bet.

A lot of casinos include a number/colour tower that indicates the past 20 or so winning numbers/colours. Even though Roulette game of chance without any memory—meaning there is as much a chance that 10 sevens will hit in row as no sevens will hit in 10 spins of the wheel—players use the tower for information. If you know what to look for, however, you can spot a bias wheel or a croupier’s “signature” by tracking the history of winning numbers.

My Favourite Strategy

I discovered this strategy from a very insightful book, “Gamble to Win: A Complete Guide for the Serious Player” by R. D. Ellison. Mr. Ellison illustrates many unusual strategies for Roulette, Craps, and Baccarat in this book. A Roulette strategy that caught my attention is what he calls a Sledgehammer. This bet includes making four double street (line) bets of equal amounts. I always play the numbers 7-12, 13-18, 19-24, 25-30; but any four lines can be played.

Many people think ‘that’s genius!’ but if you think about it you’ve only covered 24 of the 36 (plus 0/00) numbers, how can you lose? Well, the odds are in fact laid with the payout being 1 to 2. For example, place four £5 bets (£20) on the numbers above and if one of the numbers hits you are paid 5 to 1 (£25), but the profit is only £10 because the other three £5 bets lose; you are risking $20 to win $10. The actual probability (not odds!), however, is 24 to 14 on a double-0 wheel and 24 to 13 on a single-0 wheel. The approximate win ratio is 85% not bad when considering the game of roulette is entirely based of luck!

Don't bet on the five-spot or top line (0, 00, 1, 2, 3) on American roulette
Use multiple betting lines and combinations to cover your bets

Roulette Pay Table

Roulette Bets	Description	Pays
Red or Black	A bet that the winning number will be red or black	1 to 1
Even or Odd	A bet that the winning number would be even or odd	1 to 1
Low or High	A bet that the winning number will be low (1 through 18) or high (19 through 36)	1 to 1
Dozen	You can bet on a group of twelve numbers by setting your chip in one of the three boxes marked "1st 12," "2nd 12," or "3rd 12"	2 to 1
Column	There are three boxes marked "2 to 1." By setting your chip in one of these boxes, you mark all twelve numbers above it (0 and 00 excluded)	2 to 1
Line	A line bet covers two street bets (i.e. the six different numbers in two rows of three numbers. For example: 4,5,6 + 7,8,9). Set the bet on outer right boundary line of the roulette table, where it's met by the line piding the two rows	5 to 1
Five	This bet covers the following numbers: 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. Set the chip on the outer boundary line	6 to 1
Corner	Corner bets cover four numbers. Set the chip in the cross where the four numbers meet	8 to 1
Street	Street bets cover three numbers. Set the chip on the outer right boundary line of the roulette table, next to the corresponding row of three numbers	11 to 1
Split	A bet wagered on two connecting numbers by setting the chip on the line piding the two numbers. A chip can also be set on the line piding zero (0) and double-zero (00)	17 to 1
Straight Up	A bet wagered on any inpidual number, including zero (0) and double-zero (00). The chip is set directly on the inpidual number	35 to 1

Roulette Variations

French Roulette Rules

The French Roulette rules are similar to European roulette rules. They both have 37 numbered wheel with one zero but a different table layout for the outside bets.

The player odds in french roulette are again the same as in European roulette (only one zero) and therefore better than the odds offered in American roulette (two zeros). The players loose only 50% of their even-money bets when the outcome is zero, known as the 'La Partage' rule.

The object of the game is still identical - to predict which number out of possible 37 the ball will land on. One thing you must know is that they speak in French. Which is why we have listed below the English and equivalent French terms for the various roulette bets:

Inside bets

One number Straight up = En plein
Two numbers Split Bet = Cheval
Three numbers Street Bet = Transversale
Four numbers Corner = Carre
Six numbers Line Bet = Sixainne

Outside bets

Twelve numbers Column = Colonne
Twelve numbers Dozen = Douzaine
Red or Black = Rouge, Noir
Even or Odd = Pair, Impair
Low or High numbers = Manque, Passe

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