Roulette Systems

S. Stoynova (editor)

Since roulette, much like craps, is a game that is based entirely on chance, there is no sure-proof betting system that enables players to predict with absolute certainty which number the little white ball will land on. Each individual number on the wheel has equal chances of winning on the next spin. Above all, unlike human beings, roulette balls have no memory, which is to say each spin is ultimately independent from those that have preceded it and has no influence on what would happen on following spins. The winning and losing outcomes on the spins are evenly distributed and completely random variables.

Also, roulette is considered a negative expectation game, which means that in the long run the house edge, or the built-in casino advantage, will ultimately catch up with players. The game is already tilted against gamblers due to the presence of the single-zero pocket (or worse, the additional double-zero in American roulette) on the wheel, which decreases the chances of collecting a payout on even-money bets, such as red/black, odd/even and high/low.

However, this is not to say it is impossible for roulette players to end their betting sessions on profit by adopting a given betting system that suits their needs and bankroll size. While betting systems have no way of affecting the outcome of the spins, they enable players to manage their bankrolls more adequately by adjusting the size of their bets smartly. Hence, betting systems have to do with money management more than anything, allowing roulette players to potentially recoup the losses they have suffered on bad streaks or boost their profits on hot rolls. The different types of betting systems that are applicable to the game of roulette are outlined in further details below.

Betting Systems Applicable to the Game of Roulette

The most popular betting systems that are applicable to the game of roulette can be grouped into two major categories, namely positive and negative betting progressions. As was mentioned above, these systems call for adjusting your wagers’ size depending on the outcome of previous spins. In other words, players alter the amounts they bet depending on whether they have lost or won on the last spin.

Betting systems that are based on positive betting progressions demand players to increase the amount of their stakes after each winning spin and reduce their stakes after a losing spin occurs. Typically, such positive betting systems are deemed fit for those who prefer to make less risky outside bets where the chances of winning are higher.

Column Bet

Dozen Bet

Black/Red Bet

Odd/Even Bet

High/Low Bet

Straight Bet

Split Bet

Street Bet

Corner Bet

Sixline Bet

The basic idea behind these positive systems is that they can potentially help players to boost their profits should a longer hot streak occurs. At the same time, positive betting systems will enable roulette fans to keep their losses to the minimum on prolonged losing streaks and prevent them from draining their bankrolls in unfavorable situations.

The betting systems that are based on negative betting progressions mirror their positive counterparts. This is to say, they require players to bet more after each losing spin and decrease their stakes after a win occurs. At first glance, such course of action appears to be nonsensical but if you carefully think about it, things will start making sense.

Negative betting progressions are based on the idea that players can eventually offset the losses they have incurred on bad streaks with a single winning spin as they have gradually increased their stakes with a given number of betting units after each loss. That being said, the profits will be far from impressive, but in many cases, players will at least be able to break even. On that note, it is worth specifying that negative betting systems are not suitable for all roulette players and are recommended for those, who can actually afford it to bid their time and wait for the losing streak to end.

Players with a limited budget are advised to steer clear from negative systems as a certain risk exists for them to exhaust their bankrolls before a winning spin finally occurs. Also, some systems from this category are rather steep, which may lead to players reaching the table maximum prior to offsetting their losses.

The Martingale System

The Martingale must be one of the most well-known negative betting systems in the world and as such, has both its proponents and adversaries. It works in the following way – players choose a base betting unit prior to joining the roulette table, say $10, for the sake of simplicity. Each time they lose a spin, they double their stakes (or bet $20 in this example).

After a win occurs, the players go back to their base betting unit and continue to bet this amount on subsequent winning spins. So, the Martingale would work like this – $10/loss, $20/loss, $40/loss, $80/win, $10/win, $10/win, $10/win and so on.

The Fibonacci System

The Fibonacci is another negative betting progression roulette fans commonly resort to. As the name implies, the system is based on the popular Fibonacci mathematical sequence where each following number is equal to the total of the two numbers that precede it like this – 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 and so on.

At the start of the game, the player bets one base betting unit, say $10. If a loss occurs, the player increases their next stake on the basis of the Fibonacci sequence and wagers two betting units, or $20. After a winning spin, the player takes two steps back in the sequence, which is to say if they have won after betting 8 units, their next stake should amount to $30 or three base units.

There is an exception to this rule, however, in instances when the players have succeeded in turning a profit during their betting session, in which case, they go back to the very beginning of the Fibonacci sequence and proceed from there. This system calls for a good amount of concentration and gets a bit complex to follow on longer bad runs, not to mention the betting progression is beyond steep.

The Labouchere System

The Labouchere is yet another system that revolves around a negative progression and is also referred to as the Cancellation system or Split Martingale. The downside of the Labouchere is that it is far from simple which renders in unsuitable for some roulette players. The theory behind it is that those who use it will succeed in recouping their losses on bad streaks with a smaller number of winning spins. Unlike the Martingale, the Labouchere does not aim to recoup all losses with one spin only but can potentially help players to balance them off on several winning spins.

Being more complex, this system requires players to use a pen and a notepad as they need to write down a number sequence. Players are allowed to choose any sequence they like, but it is recommended to start with simpler sequences, like the following – 1-2-3-4-5-6. How much you bet is equal to the total of the first and the last number in the sequence.

On winning spins, players scratch off the first and last number and the sequence will look like this – 2, 3, 4, 5. On losing spins, the players add the sum of the first and last numbers, or the amount they have last bet at the end of the sequence, like so – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (6+1). So basically, players add numbers to the list when they lose and scratch two numbers when they win, with each following wager being equal to the total of the first and the last number. When only one number remains, players simply stake the amount it corresponds to.

The Paroli System

The Paroli is among the most popular positive betting progression roulette systems, which means players increase their bets after a win and reduce them after a loss. By using this system, players can potentially generate small profits but do it consistently.

The Paroli system is said to reduce the risk of players incurring massive losses on bad streaks. Because of this, the system is considered a more viable option for roulette players on a budget. Another advantage results from the Paroli’s simplicity as it is quite easy to learn and follow. On that note, players should keep in mind that the system is most suitable for less risky outside bets that pay even money.

The system employs fixed betting amounts. Let’s assume you start with a bet unit of $10 again and win on 31 black, in which case you double your stake for the next spin and bet $20. If you happen to lose, you drop back to your base betting unit of $10 and continue to bet this amount on subsequent losses (if they occur, of course).

The main difference between the Martingale and the Paroli is that the latter requires players to go back to their base betting units precisely after three consecutive wins occur. This is so, because three consecutive wins on even-money bets are not so uncommon in roulette but players’ chances of winning four times in a row are a bit smaller.

The 1-3-2-6 System

The 1-3-2-6 system resembles the Paroli to a great extent in that it, too, calls for increasing the stakes after winning spins. However, the two differ in the betting sequences players are expected to follow. The 1-3-2-6 system is also used for even-money bets like odd/even, black/red, and high/low.

The first thing players need to do is determine the size of their base betting unit, $5, for example. After a winning spin, players are required to modify the amount they stake according to the 1-3-2-6 sequence, which is to say in our instance, we will bet $15 on the next spin. Another win will result in betting $10 (2 betting units) on the third spin and so on. If the fourth spin is again a winning one (and you have bet $30 with six units of $5 each), the cycle is complete and you go back at the beginning of the 1-3-2-6 sequence, betting one unit once more.

Players who lose on any given spin throughout the course of their session are required to drop back to their base betting units. It really is as simple as that. The greatest advantage of the 1-3-2-6 system stems from the fact players are not expected to boost their stakes after a loss but need to always stick to their base units instead. This could prevent them from incurring greater losses quickly, not to mention the system is so simplified that anyone can master and implement it.

Flat Betting and How it Applies to Roulette

Flat betting is the course of action many recreational roulette players go for as this is, in fact, the single simplest betting pattern that does not require you to keep track of any number sequences and mathematical progressions. This is so, because the amount players bet does not fluctuate but remains the same throughout their betting sessions, instead.

This approach prevents players from incurring massive losses but is more suitable for those, who are content with generating small, yet consistent profits. However, in order to use flat betting, roulette players need to first decide on the size of their betting unit. The latter needs to be in agreement with the size of their overall bank for the betting session. If you have $200 to play with, it will be silly to choose a betting unit of $30, for instance.

The general rule of thumb in this case dictates that the betting unit should amount to about 1% to 2% of the bankroll’s overall size. This means you should flat bet no more than $4 per spin with a bank of $200.