The Best Roulette Strategies
When it comes to the game of roulette, it is no secret that the outcome ultimately comes down to chance. American and European roulette wheels include zero segments to create this house edge. Despite this, there are a number of different roulette betting strategies that have been developed over the years to provide a systematic approach to playing roulette. Strategies exist for all forms of roulette, including strategy tips for American, European, Multi-Wheel roulette and more.
In this list, the following roulette strategies are covered:
- Constant Bet
- Martingale
- Reverse Martingale
- Grande-Martingale
- D'Alembert
- Fibonacci
- James Bond
Before diving into any of the roulette strategies, it's beneficial to get a good understanding of the basic rules of roulette, including the different versions of roulette games that exist.
On top of this, it's also worthwhile having an awareness of the different betting types that are available so you know how to get the most out of each of the roulette strategies.
Types of strategies
Within this guide, you’ll find there is a wide range of strategies available for playing roulette, each of which has been designed with more aggressive and less aggressive styles. These are known as progressive and non-progressive strategies.
Progressive strategy
A progressive strategy is one where the bet amount continues to increase with each bet that is made, making it an aggressive strategy. An example of this is the popular Martingale strategy. Due to the aggressive nature of this approach, these strategies typically require a larger bankroll and carry more risk, especially if you experience a losing streak.
Non-progressive strategy
The non-progressive strategies are more simple as the bet amount remains the same for each round of betting that is played. As the amount remains the same, this approach is considered less aggressive, but that ultimately depends on the amount used.
An example of a non-progressive roulette strategy would include the constant bet strategy.
Constant bet roulette strategy
One of the most basic strategies to exist within the game of roulette is the constant bet strategy. Here, players will constantly select the same bet over and over again, with the aim that the bet will eventually hit.
As this is such a basic strategy, it is commonly used by new players or those looking to play a casual long game with smaller bets. It can also be used with any bet size as there is no progressive element. Although this is a casual approach to playing, it can be useful to select the best type of bet to be able to improve the chances of winning.
Martingale roulette strategy
Considered one of the best roulette strategies, the Martingale system is frequently used as a progressive approach to roulette.
For the Martingale system, players will need to select a 50/50 bet type such as red or black. From here, a single bet will be selected and each time the bet loses, the next bet amount is doubled. The idea is that any wins will recover the previous bets that were lost.
| Round | Bet | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | £1.00 on Red | Loss |
| 2 | £2.00 on Red | Loss |
| 3 | £4.00 on Black | Win |
In the example above, the winning bet in the third round would return £4.00, covering the losses from the previous two rounds.
The outcome is never guaranteed, as roulette comes down to chance. Progressive roulette betting systems can lead to your bet amount rising very quickly and players can incur big losses. For a roulette table with a betting limit, this can also become a big challenge.
Reverse Martingale roulette strategy
The Reverse Martingale system is not too dissimilar from the original Martingale system. As you might have guessed, the only difference is that when you win, your bet is doubled.
Unlike the original version, this strategy aims to maximise winnings when you are on a winning streak and limit the losses from previous bets that have failed to come in.
One of the positives of this system is that when you do double your bets, you are using your winnings rather than diving into your initial budget. The Reverse Martingale betting strategy is just as simple as the original, making it an option for any level of player to use if they wish.
Grande-Martingale strategy
With the Grande-Martingale system, each time you double your bet, you will also add on the original bet amount. This would mean that the longer it takes to get a win, the higher the potential payout will be.
Rather than focusing on breaking even, this approach will provide a profit if you are able to win. However, like all strategies, roulette does have a house edge, which means that this strategy does not guarantee you to win.
Similar to the original version of the Martingale approach, this roulette strategy can lead to your bet amount rising quickly and the player incurring big losses.
D'Alembert Roulette Strategy
Similar to the Martingale approach, the D'Alembert strategy uses even money bets such as red/black or odd/even.
When following this approach, players add one unit to the bet amount after losing a bet and reduce the amount by one unit when winning a bet. The below offers an example of how this could look in a game. The even-money bet winning in the third round would return £3.00 in winnings to cover the losses of the previous two rounds.
| Round | Bet | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | £1.00 on Red | Loss |
| 2 | £2.00 on Red | Loss |
| 3 | £3.00 on Black | Win |
| 4 | £2.00 on Red | Loss |
Fibonacci Roulette Strategy
Influenced by the famous Fibonacci sequence, this roulette strategy is a negative progressive approach to playing roulette. To understand the system, you need to be aware of the Fibonacci number sequence which adds the two previous numbers together to provide the next number. For example, the number sequence might look like 0-1-1-2-3-5-8.
In the game of roulette, following the Fibonacci system would mean that players place a single unit bet on an even money bet type. For each loss, the player adds the amount of the previous two bets to provide the new bet amount, just like the Fibonacci number sequence.
If the player wins on the first round of betting, they must start the sequence again. Any wins after this, and the player must move back two numbers in the sequence.
James Bond Roulette Strategy
Taking inspiration from the famous film series, with the James Bond strategy, players wager the same amount each round. The idea is that your betting budget is split into three parts. Part one includes 70% of your total, part two has 25% and part three consists of 5%.
The first bet should be staked on high numbers, the next covers a double street and the final part is placed on zero. Doing this aims to cover more of the possible outcomes.
Roulette strategies aren't for every player. The James Bond strategy is one of those examples, requiring a large budget to work, and still comes with a risk.
European roulette betting strategies
If you're unfamiliar with European roulette, there aren't too many differences. The only notable point is the roulette wheel. When playing the European version, you will notice that the wheel consists of only one zero segment, providing a fairer chance of winning when compared to the American version.
As for the European roulette strategies, some of the most popular choices are; The Martingale Strategy, The D'Alembert Strategy and The Fibonacci Strategy.
American roulette betting strategies
American roulette has the largest house edge as the roulette wheel includes two zero segments rather than the one zero that can be found on a French or European roulette wheel. Due to this house edge, there is no way of getting around it with any strategy. The strategies simply exist to theoretically improve the chances of winning or limiting losses.
Once again, Martingale is one of the most popular choices of strategy when it comes to American roulette.
What is the best roulette strategy?
Selecting your best strategy is really dependent on personal preference.
None of the strategies here can overcome the house edge that is within every version. This means that the strategies listed above cannot guarantee a win at roulette, and as a result, they are simply an approach for betting.
If you’re thinking about adopting one of these strategies, consider the factors of each that suit your play style and budget. This can be a deciding influence when finding a strategy that is best for you.
Play roulette online at 21.co.uk
Looking to play online roulette? At 21.co.uk we have a variety of live roulette games and virtual roulette games.
Live roulette comes in several different variations and provides a live chat functionality to allow players to communicate with the dealer and other players. One of the most popular choices is the Lightning Roulette game from Evolution, offering Lucky Numbers for multiplied payouts of up to 500x the bet.
Roulette Strategy FAQs
Is there a trick to winning roulette?
There is no secret to winning at roulette. Playing roulette ultimately comes down to complete chance and the addition of the zero segments on the wheel creates a house edge.
No matter which strategy you decide to use, the house will always have the advantage.
What is the smartest bet in roulette?
Selecting outside bets, such as red/black or odd/even, provides the best odds when compared to inside bets. When betting on inside bets, the odds suggest you are only likely to win once in 36 spins. For this reason, some might suggest going for the outside bets.
What number hits the most on roulette?
Each number has an equal chance of hitting, so there is no certain answer. The number 17 is arguably the most popular when it comes to the number that has been bet on the most. One of the reasons for this is due to where it is positioned on the roulette wheel.
Which roulette has the best odds?
European roulette provides better odds when compared to the American game.
The American version includes two zero segments on the wheel, creating a greater house edge. Even though the game has a higher house edge, the payout odds for a straight-up bet remain the same at 35/1.
