Roulette Strategies

Written by Alex Vasile
Alex Vasile has an iGaming background with over five years working in Support and Account / VIP management. He is also an experienced writer covering topics related to gambling legislation and jurisdictions, casino bonuses and wagering requirements and casino games rules.
, | Updated: October 2, 2024

Roulette debuted on the gambling scene in the 18th century. Over the years, it has garnered a great deal of attention. Nowadays, roulette is one of the most popular casino games. If you visit a land-based casino, you will notice that the roulette tables become quickly overcrowded. Casino fans love playing roulette for various reasons – some enjoy the straightforward rules it features, while others are into the excitement of waiting for the ball to come to rest.

Whatever the reason for playing roulette might be, every casino enthusiast hopes to leave the casino with full pockets. But the element of luck in roulette plays a key role. The pocket in which the ball comes to rest is determined by chance. Thus, no strategy can help you predict where exactly the ball will land. Experienced roulette players know that the only strategy one can successfully apply is the proper management of the bankroll.

Even though roulette is a game of chance, many fervent players tried to develop a strategy for improving their odds and beating the house. On the Internet, you will come across various roulette strategies players swear by. In this article, we would like to discuss some of the most widespread of them, how they work, and whether these are successful or not.

Introduction to Roulette Strategies

1Categories of Roulette Strategies

Roulette strategies help players determine the size of their bets according to the outcome of the previous round. Based on that knowledge, we can outline three categories of roulette strategies – progressive, non-progressive, and flat.

2Positive Progression

The positive progression states that players have to increase their stakes whenever a win occurs and decrease the size of their wagers when they lose. In theory, the strategy seems rational – it protects you from losing large amounts of money, while at the same time, this system helps you to increase your winnings.

3Negative Progression

As you might have already guessed, the negative progression is the opposite of the positive one. It advises roulette fans to increase their stakes when they lose and decrease them after a win. The logic here is that a losing streak cannot last forever and whenever a win occurs, you will get back your losses and generate a profit.

4Flat Betting

The flat betting system is the easiest to implement on the roulette table as you do not have to change the size of your bets. According to it, roulette players have to adhere to the same bet size throughout their gambling session. Roulette fans usually apply this strategy when placing inside bets.

Of course, this betting system has its pros and cons. Some of its advantages are that it is easy to follow, it protects you from substantial losses, and it provides you with the chance to walk away with a small profit if Lady Luck smiles on you. The main problem with the flat betting system is that you are likely to lose in the long haul and even if you win, the profit will be small.

What You Need to Know in Advance?

The different types of betting systems help players adjust the size of their bets based on the outcome of the previous round. However, the outcome of a preceding spin does not affect the outcome of any future spins. Hence, it is wrong to think that using a betting strategy will change the odds of success in your favor.

Unfortunately, many people believe that if a given event occurs more frequently, it affects the probability of future outcomes. This irrational way of thinking is also known as the “Gambler’s Fallacy”.

D’Alembert

Roulette fans who tend to place even-money outside bets often rely on the D’Alembert betting strategy. This betting system is relatively simple – you have to increase your wager by one unit following a loss and decrease it by one unit whenever a win occurs. It is a rather safe betting system and thus, appropriate for rookie players. Let us use an example to see how this classic system works:

Bet Number Bet Size Outcome Net Profits
1 10 Win 10
2 9 Lose 1
3 10 Lose -9
4 11 Win 2
5 10 Win 12
6 9 Lose 3

This example shows that if you use the D’Alembert roulette strategy and the number of wins and losses is equal, the size of the net gain coincides with the number of wins.

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Pros and Cons

The main problem with this betting system is that you can easily reach the table minimum which will result in interrupting the sequence. To avoid such a situation, your initial wager has to be larger. On a more positive note, the D’Alembert strategy protects players from suffering huge losses but it also does not provide much scope for making a profit.

Another important thing to mention is that if you play roulette for long enough, losses are likely to outnumber wins due to the presence of the zero pocket(s) on the wheel. As you already know, European and French Roulette variations use a single-zero wheel. Their American counterpart is played on a wheel that features an extra double-zero pocket, further increasing the house edge and the chance of losing.


Reverse D’Alembert

The reverse D’Alembert strategy advises players to increase their bets by one unit after a win and decrease them by one unit after a loss. It was invented by roulette players who could not generate wins using the D’Alembert strategy. Roulette enthusiasts who decide to use this betting strategy have to determine a loss limit and a winning target.


Martingale

The Martingale betting system is one of the first to be invented. According to it, players have to double their bets following a loss and revert them to their original size upon registering a win. This negative progression betting system is appropriate for high rollers. Novice roulette enthusiasts are advised to avoid using this risky strategy as no one can predict when exactly a win will occur.

Bet Number Bet Size Outcome Net Profits
1 10 Lose -10
2 20 Lose -30
3 40 Lose -70
4 80 Lose -150
5 160 Win 10
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blank Grand Martingale

Pros and Cons

By using this strategy, roulette aficionados can win their losses back and generate a small profit even after a long losing streak. However, the main downside associated with this betting system is that you can quickly reach the maximum table limits as you never know how long a losing string will last. In addition, this betting system is effective but only in the short term. What is more, your bankroll has to be large enough to follow the strategy.


Grand Martingale

The Martingale betting strategy has different variations, the most popular out of which is the Grand Martingale. It postulates that players have to double their wagers and add an extra unit when a loss is registered. In that way, roulette fans can maximize their winnings even after a long losing streak. However, it is more aggressive compared to its original variation.

Bet Number Bet Size Outcome Net Profits
1 10 Lose -10
2 21 Lose -31
3 43 Lose -74
4 87 Lose -161
5 175 Win 14

Paroli

The Paroli strategy, also known as reverse Martingale, is a positive progression betting system. Therefore, bets are increased after a win. The Paroli strategy is quite useful when placing even-money bets and it states that players have to double their bets whenever a win is registered and place flat bets after a loss. An important rule here is that once you hit three consecutive wins, you should revert your bet to its original size. The Paroli betting strategy mainly relies on the occurrence of winning and losing streaks.

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Example

Bet Number Bet Size Outcome Net Profits
1 10 Lose -10
2 10 Lose -20
3 10 Win -20
4 20 Win 0
5 40 Win 40

Pros and Cons

The main advantage of the Paroli system is that even players with tight bankrolls can rely on it. What is more, it is one of the safest betting systems – the worst-case scenario is to generate some small losses. But if you hit three wins in a row, you will leave the roulette table with a decent profit. Next to that, it is unlikely to reach the table limits.

However, we must admit that the betting system has its downsides – the chance of hitting three consecutive wins is small. This, on the other hand, may result in many small losses. And even if today is your lucky day and the number of your wins outnumber the losses, you will not leave the roulette table with a substantial profit.


1-3-2-6 Betting System

Overview

Example

The 1-3-2-6 betting strategy is very akin to the Paroli one. Being a positive progression system, roulette fans have to consecutively place bets equal to 1, 3, 2, and 6 units every time a win occurs. In other words, this betting system is based on four wins in a row. Provided that you lose, you have to revert your bet to 1 unit and start all over again. As you might have already guessed, this betting system has the same pros and cons as the Paroli ones. Look at the table below to see how the 1-3-2-6 betting strategy actually works.

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Fibonacci

As its name suggests, this negative progression betting system is inspired by the Fibonacci sequence of numbers where every new number equals the sum of the preceding two numbers. It starts with 0 and 1 and continues as follows: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, etc. The Fibonacci betting strategy is mainly used on even-money bets and the first number in the line is 1, meaning that the size of your initial bet is one unit.

The basic idea behind this strategy is to move one number up the Fibonacci sequence every time after a loss. Once a win occurs, players have to move two numbers down the sequence.

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Example

Bet Number Bet Size Outcome Net Profits
1 1 Lose -1
2 1 Lose -2
3 2 Lose -4
4 3 Win -1
5 1 Win 0
6 1 Win 1

Pros and Cons

The Fibonacci betting system is quite popular among roulette fans who wish to use a negative progression system. The main reason for this trend is that the increase of the bets is less aggressive compared to other systems of this category. The setback of this betting system is that it mainly applies to even-money bets and by using it, you will not be able to generate some substantial profits.


Parlay

Sports betting fans are most likely familiar with the parlay (accumulator) betting system. But what you might not know is that this strategy can also be successfully applied on the roulette table. In a nutshell, players stake an amount equal to the sum of their winnings and the size of their original bet. This betting system is geared toward the inside and outside roulette bets. It is a positive progression betting system, meaning that players have to increase their bets after a win and decrease them whenever a loss occurs.

To successfully apply this betting system, you have to determine the size of your initial stake and a winning target. If you do not set a winning goal, you take the risk to leave the casino empty-handed. Let us better explain the system by using an example.

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Example

Bet Number Bet Size Outcome Net Profits
1 10 Win 10
2 20 Win 30
3 40 Win 70
4 80 Win 150

Pros and Cons

The parlay betting system is a relatively safe strategy as it is based on the winnings accumulated from the previous spin. Thus, it allows roulette fans to generate some profits in a nearly risk-free manner. However, the system only works in the short term. Another disadvantage of the parlay betting strategy is that the chance of hitting four or five consecutive wins is relatively small.


Labouchere

Also known as Split Martingale, the Labouchere is a negative progression betting system that relies on a small number of wins to recoup losses. The main principle behind this betting strategy is to increase your bet after a loss and decrease it a win occurs. What sets this betting strategy apart from the other negative progression systems is that it does not focus on recovering lost money with a single win but with several small lucky events.

The Labouchere betting system is primarily used when placing even money bets. We have to admit that it is more complicated than the ones discussed above but once you acquaint yourself with its peculiarities, you will not encounter any difficulties using it. The first thing you have to do if you want to apply this system is to write a sequence of numbers.

Novice players are advised to use simple sequences such as 1, 2, 3, 4. The main catch here is to accurately determine the size of your bet that should be equal to the sum of the first and the last number in your sequence.

Provided that a win occurs, your next bet should be equal to the sum of the next numbers in the sequence. If a loss occurs, you have to add the lost bet to the sequence. Assuming that only one number is left in the sequence, your next bet has to be equal to that number. Here is how the Labouchere system actually works if your sequence includes the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4:

Bet Number Sequence Bet Size Outcome Net Profits
1 1, 2, 3, 4 5 (4 +1) Win 5
2 2, 3 5 (3 + 2) Lose 0
3 2, 3, 5 7 (2 + 5) Lose -7
4 2, 3, 5, 7 9 (2 + 7) Win 2
5 3, 5 8 (3 + 5) Win 10
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Pros and Cons

Many roulette enthusiasts prefer the Labouchere betting system as it provides them with the opportunity to determine the sequence and thus, adjust the size of their bets according to their budget. What is more, the increase of the bets is not as steep as in other betting strategies which further adds to its appeal. But if you go on a long losing streak and your bankroll is not large enough to keep up with the betting system, you will end up losing a substantial amount of money.


Reverse Labouchere

Reverse Labouchere is a betting system based on the exact opposite rules of the Labouchere strategy. Consequently, players have to add winning bets to their sequence instead of losing ones. This betting strategy relies on the idea that a losing streak cannot last forever. Players who use this strategy on the roulette table might have to struggle with frequent but small losses.

Bet Number Sequence Bet Size Outcome Net Profits
1 1, 2, 3, 4 5 (4 + 1) Lose -5
2 2, 3 5 (2 + 3) Lose -10
3 1, 2, 3, 4 5 (1 + 4) Win -5
4 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 6 (1 + 5) Win -1
5 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 7 (6 + 1) Win 6

Other Betting Systems in Roulette

1Overview

In the lines above, we explained how the most popular roulette betting strategies work. However, there are many more strategies and in this section, we would like to touch upon some of them.

2Masse Egale

It is a flat betting system, meaning that your bet remains the same regardless of the outcome of the current spin. Roulette enthusiasts can use this betting strategy only on inside bets. An important thing to note is that in the long term, it will lead to a loss of money.

3Oscar’s Grind

It is an easy-to-understand positive progression betting strategy. If you want to apply this strategy, you have to first set a winning goal and an initial unit size. This betting system is mainly used on even-money bets. Whenever a loss occurs, your bet does not change. Players have to increase the size of their bets by one unit after a win.

4James Bond

This betting strategy comes into play in European Roulette. It is based on a combination of bets so you need a healthy bankroll. Roulette fans interested in using the James Bond strategy have to place 14 units on the high numbers (19 to 36), 5 units on a six line or double street, and one unit on zero. The logic behind this betting strategy is to cover as many numbers as possible.

5Romanosky

This betting strategy allows players to cover a total of 32 numbers. Hence, the chance of winning is 86.5%. However, it can be used only when playing European or French Roulette. We can outline six different versions of the Romanosky strategy according to the selected bet selection. For example, 3 units are placed on dozens 2 and 3 and 1 unit on corners 2-6 and 7-11.

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