Roulette is one of those games that, at first glance, seems pointless to practice.
Why? Well, because the game itself is all about chance. You can’t really strategize around a ball bouncing around a spinning wheel that’s clipped by metal dividers separating the numbers.
But what you can practice is your betting roulette strategy and discipline.
Roulette is one of the few casino games where you actually have close to even odds if you bet on red or black. The only built-in house advantage on the wheel comes from the green pockets, because all outside bets lose when the ball lands on zero—or double zero in some cases.
The true odds are 37 to 1 on European wheels and 38 to 1 on American wheels. That’s numbers 1 to 36, plus a single zero, and sometimes a double zero. But the casino only pays 35 to 1 if you land a straight-up win on a specific number.
That slightly reduced payout is what gives the house its edge—about 5.26%.
That said, there are plenty of ways to bet in roulette, so it’s a good idea to practice a few rounds and get comfortable before stepping onto the casino floor.
Common Ways to Bet
Dozens & Columns (2 to 1 odds)
You can bet on the first, second, or third dozen (1–12, 13–24, 25–36), or one of the three columns.
Straight-up (Single number)
This one’s simple and tempting. With an attractive payout of 35 to 1, you bet on a single number.
Maybe you’ve got a gut feeling black 33 is going to hit—so you slide your chips onto 33.
If you put just $10 and the ball lands there, you win $350 plus you keep your $10.
Red or Black (Even odds)
This is the easiest way to play longer and stretch your balance.
The odds are almost 50/50. But because the American wheel has two green spots (0 and 00), the real odds are 47.4%.
European wheels are a bit better at 48.6%. A common roulette strategy if you bet black and red hits? Double your bet and try black again.
Keep going until you recover your loss and profit.
Since the odds are 47.4% per spin, you usually won’t have to wait too long.
Odd or Even
Like red or black, you’re paid 1 to 1. Just bet whether the ball will land on an odd or even number.
1-18 or 19-36
Another even-money bet. Choose low (1–18) or high (19–36).
Row (0 & 00)
You can bet on both green zeros with a payout of 17 to 1.
Street (Three-number combo)
Bet on a sequence like 5-6-7 or 19-20-21. Pays 11 to 1.
The Basic Roulette Strategies
The D’Alembert Roulette Strategy
The D’Alembert roulette strategy is a safer alternative to the Martingale or Reverse Martingale strategies in roulette, which involve higher risk.
Basically, instead of doubling your bet after every loss (or win), you simply increase your bet by one unit after a loss and decrease it by one unit after a win.
Choose an even-money bet such as red or black, 19–36, odd or even. Increase your bet by one unit after each loss, and decrease it by one after each win. Keep going until your number of wins equals your number of losses.
Once you’re even, cash out your chips and winnings.
Here’s how it works:
- Bet $20 on red. If you lose, bet $21 on red again.
- If you win, bet $20 in the next round.
- If you lose again, return to $21.
- Lose again, go to $22.
- Lose again, go to $23.
- Win? Drop to $22, then to $21.
So, in this short run:
-20, +21, -20, -21, -22, +23, +22, +21
Your total would be: $83 lost vs. $87 won = $4 profit.
What makes this roulette strategy useful is that it helps you track wins and losses easily.
It’s not a get-rich-quick method, but you can enjoy long sessions and stretch your bankroll.
The Martingale Roulette Strategy
The Martingale roulette strategy is one of the most famous Roulette Strategies. People use variations of it in everything from sports betting to craps and roulette.
How it works is similar to D’Alembert—but with more aggressive betting.
You find a table with the lowest minimum and highest maximum bet limits. Start small, because you’re going to double your bet every time you lose.
Choose an even-money bet like odds, evens, red, black, etc., and place the smallest bet allowed.
- If you win, keep betting the same amount.
- If you lose—say $5—double it to $10.
- Lose again? Double to $20.
- Win at $20? Return to your original $5 bet, because you’ve now recovered your losses.
However, if you’re on a table with a $5 minimum and a $100 maximum, it only takes five losses in a row to hit the limit and be unable to recover. That’s the main risk.
The Reverse Martingale
The Reverse Martingale is even riskier, but it can be very profitable.
The key difference: you keep your bet small when you lose, but when you win, you double your bet and stay in the same spot.
So with each win, you double the bet.
With each loss, you return to your starting bet.
This online roulette strategy aims to capitalize on winning streaks, but a single loss wipes out your entire streak—so it’s high-risk, high-reward.