Essential Information for Winning at Roulette

Even though the game of roulette has risen in popularity over the decades, there are still many players that have absolutely no idea how to play the game properly. As a result, they play recklessly and lose a lot of money, even when they don’t have to. I have compiled several basic but important tidbits of information that will hopefully help beginners to tip the odds a little bit more to their favor.



The house edge – Always keep in mind that wherever you play, there is always the house edge that you have to beat. You cannot avoid it, so all you can do is try to improve your chances of winning as much as possible by being knowledgeable about the game and all its nuances.



Choose the correct system – Now, this is easier said than done. There are many roulette playing systems that are being offered or sold out there, so choosing one from the dozens of available systems may be overwhelming. If you can avoid it, try to play without using a system at all. If you do have to use one, collect as much information as possible about the system before you use it.



European is better – When it comes to roulette, the European way is definitely better than American. Why? The American roulette wheel has a “00”, meaning the house edge is way up there; almost double when compared to that of the European wheel (2.63%) which has only one “0”.



Use the odds – As much as possible, place your bets where the payouts are parallel to the bets. Red or black, or perhaps odd or even bets are good examples. This way, you play at just a little below even odds with the house, so your money will last longer and you get to play more. If you’re the aggressive type, though, this one may be too much for you to handle.



Speaking about bets, do you know what the best bet in roulette is? It’s a bet placed on a European table, known as the en prison bet. This can be made on all even-money bets. How does it work? When the ball lands on 0, your bet remains on the table for the next round. If you win on the next spin, you don’t get all your winnings, but you do get your original bet back, so only half your bet is actually lost. What’s more, the en prison rule on even-money bets only gives the house an edge of 1.35%. This is why the en prison bet is the best bet to make in roulette.



Streaking – This is another fallacy that needs to be avoided entirely. It’s amazing how even players with years of experience will believe that a succession of reds will increase the odds of hitting a black on the next spin. Fact: the ball and the wheel have no memory. Even if the reds have hit twelve times in a row, the odds of getting a black on the next spin will always be 50-50.



Set a bankroll – One of the best things to do to avoid piling up huge losses is to set a bankroll for the game. Once you’ve used it up, quit. Say goodbye, turn around and don’t look back. This way, you avoid losing more money than what you were prepared for. Never gamble more than you can afford to lose.