The Best Roulette Strategies
Find the best roulette strategies all in one place. Below we’ve covered some of the best roulette strategies to beat the wheel, including a run-through of the Martingale, Paroli, and D’Alembert systems. Read on to find out about the most well-known strategies, how to play roulette with them, and with a bit of luck – how to beat roulette by using them.
Choosing the Best Roulette Strategy
Deciding on a roulette strategy will depend on your style of play. Some strategies are more aggressive and will need you to put more of your bankroll on the line. Others are considered slightly ‘safer’ and entail betting more conservatively for smaller prizes. Before you start playing its essential to understand the rules of roulette and know that the casino will always have an edge regardless of the strategy you choose.
To find the best roulette strategy for you, take a look at our system calculator below:
Roulette Strategy Calculator
Once you've found your favourite roulette game online, you can pick a strategy below to increase your chances of winning
What Are the Best Roulette Strategies?
We've broken down some of the best-known roulette strategies, the rules they’ve inspired, and the payouts you can expect if you successfully put them into practice. Each of the strategies listed below have proven popular with land-based and online players alike.
With the Martingale system, every time a player loses, they double their bet. The theory here is that when players eventually win, they recover any money they had previously lost plus a small profit. For this strategy it’s important to only bet on even number wagers such as red/black, odd/even, or 0-18/19-36.
Martingale System Example
The below example shows how Martingale could work in practice. Bet values can soon add up with the Martingale strategy, and consecutive losses can (and do) happen to roulette players.
The Labouchère system increases a player’s stake following a losing bet. The player sets a goal of how much they want to win, divided into a series of smaller numbers adding up to that goal. The player then adds together the numbers at the far left and far right of the sequence to determine the first bet. If the bet wins, the numbers are crossed out and the next bet uses the next two numbers on the far left and right. If the bet loses, the bet amount is added to the far-right side of the sequence.
Labouchère System Example
The example below shows how this betting system works when playing roulette. Bear in mind that the player’s goal is a win of $100, and that’s how this sequence has come about.
The reverse Labouchère system works by increasing the stakes following a winning bet. It works in the same way as the classic Labouchère system in that each bet is made from the sum of the first and last digits in a sequence. Following a loss, the first and last digits are removed. Following a win, the last bet played is added to the sequence. The end goal is to remove all numbers in the sequence and finish the cycle.
Reverse Labouchère System Example
Take a look at the table below to see how Reverse Labouchere works in practice. It’s a more conservative option than traditional Labouchere and is well worth a go if you’re looking for a new strategy.
The Andrucci system uses the reasoning that over time, each number should be covered by the wheel. Start by noting down the numbers that appear in a cycle of 30-35 spins. Then, select a number that the ball is likely to land on and stick to it for the next 15-25 spins, or until you win. The Andrucci system is inspired by Chaos Theory and draws from principles of physics.
Andrucci System Example
Andrucci is an interesting betting system. It’s a risky choice, but many players swear by their successes when using the Andrucci betting system.
The D’Alembert strategy focuses on even money bets such as red/black, odd/even, or 1-18/19-36. For each loss, one coin is added to the player’s stake. For each win, the total stake amount is reduced by one coin. D’Alembert is another roulette strategy based on the theory of progression, but it’s not as aggressive the Martingale.
D’Alembert System Example
With this strategy, bets don’t rise as fast as they do in more aggressive options. So, you won’t suffer such massive losses, but you also won’t recover all previous losses from a single win. Take a look at the table below to see how this strategy works in practice.
Contra D’Alembert is the reverse of the traditional D’Alembert system. The strategy involves only betting on ‘even chance’ or 1:1 wagers. For every win, one coin is added to the total bet for the next spin. For every loss, one coin is taken away. The Contra D’Alembert is considered a positive progression strategy
Contra D’Alembert System Example
The example below shows how a player might put the Contra D’Alembert betting system into practice. The Contra D’Alembert betting system sometimes requires players to win on a few different rounds in order to make up their losses and start making a profit
The Fibonacci system uses a sequence of numbers where each stake is the sum of the two stakes before. For example, a sequence might be: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, and so on. With each loss, the sequence increases by one number, and for each win a player would go back two places. The only other thing to know here is that each wager much be placed on an even-money bet such as red/black or odd/even.
Fibonacci System Example
The example below shows how the Fibonacci system can be used to ensure that you don’t suffer heavy losses when playing roulette. Of course, there’s no predicting the outcome of every spin, and it is still possible to lose consecutively.
With the Paroli system, a player doubles their wager each time they win a bet. They continue to do this until they achieve three consecutive wins. Unlike with the Martingale, a player does not double their stake on a losing spin.
Paroli System Example
The amount of risk involved when playing the Paroli betting strategy depends very much on how big the units are that players are prepared to bet with. It’s a less aggressive option for novices and experienced roulette players alike.
The 3 2 system works as two separate bets: an outside and a column. The idea here is to cover multiple sections to even out the risk of losing. It doesn’t matter which outside or column bet that players choose, as long as both are wagered on.
Option 1
Players bets three units on red and two units on column two.
Option 2
Players bets three units on black and two units on column 3.
3 2 System Example
The scenario below shows how the 3 2 system could be problematic in practice. As the profits from wins aren’t very generous when playing this strategy, players need to win a considerable number of times to make it worthwhile.
The 1 3 2 6 strategy works by a player increasing their stake for each win. For example, the first bet might be one unit, then after a win it would be three units, and so on. After a loss, players go back to the beginning and bet one unit again. If players manage to complete the sequence, they simply start over again.
1 3 2 6 System Example
The 1 3 2 6 is an example of a progressive betting system which doesn’t require players to bet vast sums of money on single spins. Take a look at the below table to see how it might work:
Factors Which May Affect Your Roulette Strategy
Minimum and Maximum Bets
All casinos, whether they are land-based or online, have minimum and maximum bets on their roulette games. And as you might expect, these can make or break a roulette strategy.
You’ll often find that a minimum bet is in the region of $10, whilst a maximum bet will be around $60,000, but these vary from casino to casino. If, for example, you’re using Martingale, you can come a cropper if you’re unlucky enough to reach the maximum bet limit without recouping your previous losses.
Game Type
There are several different variations of the game of roulette, and with each one the house edge is slightly different. These subtle differences can affect roulette strategies.
For example, if you’re using a strategy such as Andrucci, you’ll be looking to pick out which numbers come up the most. So, you’ll need to be aware of the fact that in some variations of roulette, such as American, there are additional numbers (an extra 00).
Payout Amounts
When using any roulette strategy, you need to be aware of the payout amounts you can expect for any given bet. In roulette, this isn’t as simple as it might seem.
For example, in roulette variations which have 37 numbers, the payout remains 35:1. Likewise, payout amounts for specific bets like a five number bet have standardized payouts (in this case it’s 6:1 - which makes it a poor bet indeed).
The Worst Roulette Strategies
There are two main roulette strategies to avoid: studying for patterns, and the 666 strategy.
Studying for Patterns
Looking for patterns in roulette is useless as all online casinos use random number generators (RNGs). This means that the outcome of each spin can never be worked out as there is no mathematical formula in place. The best roulette systems will never guide players to study for patterns in the game.
The 666 System
The 666 strategy is an aggressive system which works by betting on as many numbers as you can at once. The theory here is that the more numbers you bet on, the more chance of a profit there is. The reason it is called the ‘666 strategy’ is because all number on the roulette wheel (1-26, 0, and 00) all add up to 666. The average outcome is usually a loss with the 666 strategy.
How to Win at Roulette
Before you start playing, here’s some our best advice for how to win more at roulette:
- Set yourself a betting limit before you play
- Only choose the most reputable roulette sites to bet at
- Decide on a roulette betting strategy from the list above
- Test the strategy out in free-play mode before wagering real money
- Never look for patterns in the winning numbers
FAQ
We know roulette, and we've spent countless hours reviewing online roulette games and real money casinos. So it's safe to say we can anticipate almost all of the roulette questions you might have. To save you some time we've put the answers below:
How do you win at roulette machines?
Winning at roulette can be done with a combination of practising and having a lucky day. Strategies are more about minimising your losses, than improving your ability to win. The numbers are always random, but if you know the rules and odds in detail you will have an advantage. To try out strategies and learn the rules, we recommend playing plenty of rounds of free roulette before betting real money.
Can you learn how to win at roulette every time?
No, players can’t learn how to win on every spin. Roulette is game of luck and the house always has an edge. Knowing roulette odds and playing a roulette strategy will help players make the most informed bets, but every spin can’t always guarantee a win.
How do you win big money at online roulette?
Although roulette is a game of chance, you can win big money by playing high-risk, single number bets which pay out better than group or combination bets. Single pockets pay out 35/1 for example, so you can get a decent prize if your single number comes up as the winner. Winning big of course only applies if you're playing real money online roulette, or playing a live dealer game.
Can you win more by doubling up after a loss using the Martingale strategy?
In theory yes, though doubling up after a loss doesn’t always guarantee players will win more. Should the player win using the Martingale system, the bet will cover previous losses as well as eturn a small profit. This win can never be guaranteed though.
Are there software programs that help you determine the best bets to make?
There are many software programs that claim to be able to determine the best bet, but it is impossible to do anything but figure the odds of a ball hitting a particular number. There is no way for a program to know where the ball will go - whatever you do, don't spend money on any software like this!
