Roulette is one of the oldest and most popular games of chance around the world. Many mathematicians and professional players have tried to discover the secret of its winning to increase the chance of winning and reduce failures. As a result, several dozen different strategies have emerged, some of which work. Let’s take a detailed look at the 3 most popular time-tested strategies that have proven their effectiveness.
How to win at European and American roulette with the Martingale method
Before you start playing, it’s worth performing some actions that will not allow you to lose more than you can afford, because any gambling is associated with risks. This is important when playing any type of roulette (African, American, European, etc.):
- Set the maximum betting threshold before the game and stick to it;
- Play only licensed and trusted casinos;
- Decide in advance on the strategy that you will use;
- Test the scheme in a free demo version of the game before betting for real money;
- Searching for patterns in the winning numbers may not bring results.
Note that none of the strategies guarantees a positive result in the long run. The chance of winning increases the excellent knowledge of the rules of the game and the ability to stop in time. Some systems imply a large bankroll, which is needed in a succession of losses. In any case, choosing the right strategy can improve your gambling skills and increase your chance of coming close to winning.
Martingale: the most popular roulette strategy
The Martingale betting system is very popular. It is, of all existing roulette strategies, choose beginners. This is one of the oldest ways to play roulette. The Martingale betting system was popular long before the advent of online casinos and was used in all games of simple odds when you need to make a simple choice of two positions: red or black, even or odd, high or low number, etc. Martingale system has proven itself in practice with any kind of roulette bets, the winnings of which are paid 1:1.
The essence of the strategy
The main essence of the Martingale system is to double the bet every time the user loses. As a result, one win returns all the money lost by the player in previous bets, additionally bringing a small profit. For the strategy to work, the player only needs to bet on red/even, odd/even or 0-18/19-36. Because of its simplicity and clear terms, Martingale is the most popular strategy for playing American and European roulette. It is widely used by beginner and experienced casino customers. To successfully apply this system, you need to follow a strictly established sequence, then your chances of winning significantly increase in the short term. Even if you can’t win a large sum, Martingale will help you recoup your losses from past rounds.
Important: when betting on a single number, the player runs the risk of a string of losses. If there are a lot of losses, the possibility of increasing the limit of the table and doubling the amount of the next bet will be limited. The player in this case should have patience and not exceed the minimum limits.
Example of bets
| Betting on 1 black 400 rubles | Result of the round | Loss or gain |
| 100 rubles | Playback | -100 rubles |
| 200 rubles | Playback | -200 rubles |
| 400 rubles | Winning | Payout 1:1 and return bet = 800 rubles |
As can be seen from the table, for three rounds the player invested 400 + 200 + 100 = 700 rubles. The third winning round brought him 800 rubles. Thus, the player recouped all his investments, and his profit was 100 rubles.
The disadvantages of the Martingale strategy
The Martingale progressive roulette strategy also has its difficulties. The first is the limitation of the player’s financial resources. With a succession of failures, there is a rapid increase in the value of the bet. If the player is unlucky long enough, the game bank may be exhausted.
| Rate number | Rate of $1 | Rate of $5 |
| 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 3 | 4 | 20 |
| 4 | 8 | 40 |
| 5 | 16 | 80 |
| 6 | 32 | 160 |
| 7 | 64 | 320 |
| 8 | 128 | 640 |
| 9 | 256 | 1280 |
| 10 | 512 | 2360 |
As you can see in the table, an initial bet of $1 and 9 losses in a row would require a bet of 500 times the base bet on bet 10, and on bet 11 the player would invest an amount 1,000 times greater than the first bet. If the first bet is $5, then on the 10th bet the amount invested will be $2,360, and on the 11th bet, the amount invested will be over $5,000. To reduce the risk of losing all the money the player has, the total pot allocated to the game should be 30-50 times higher than the initial bet. And for that, a very careful approach to the formation of the base bet is necessary.
The second problem is that the casino does not like players using progressive systems and applies certain measures to them. Most often, they consist of limiting the minimum and maximum bet limits. If the minimum bet is $10 and the maximum is under $300, it will be difficult to play by the Martingale strategy. Limiting the bets allows you to make only five losses in a row.
To solve this problem, it is necessary to choose initially for the game institutions and specific tables with the widest possible range of allowed bets.
Another way around the betting limit is to add the necessary numbers directly on the playing field (for example, in the straight-up position of all red numbers), when the necessary bet begins to exceed the maximum for simple odds. This method of circumventing the limit is usually not against the rules of online casinos.
Another option to bypass the rules, which is more often used in online casinos, is the ability to engage in the game with your friends, who will complement your bets when you exceed the limit. As a result, you will simply split the pot between you.
Labouchere: a system for experienced roulette players
The Labouchere system, which is used by roulette players around the world, was originally used in betting on horse races. After a while, it began to be applied to any sports betting. Today, however, the game strategy based on negative progression is used in online casinos when playing European and American roulette. Its second name – is the cancellation system. Labouchere system is named after its inventor Henry Labouchere a rich English aristocrat of the XIX century, whose favorite pastime was roulette. Labouchere was known as a very gambling man with a mathematical turn of mind. He developed a betting system based on his own experience, which became known by his name. He used this strategy successfully in all the casinos he played in, earning a large capital from it.
The essence of the strategy
The Labouchere system is much more complex than Martingale. You can’t use it without reading the manual, taking notes, and doing some calculations. It all seems too complicated for beginners, but if you understand the rules once, you can greatly increase your chances of winning.
The point of Labouchere’s strategy is that a player makes a profit if the percentage of his winning bets is at least 33%. In other words, when 1 out of 3 bets wins, the strategy remains profitable.
To use the system, you need to write down how much money you want to win. This amount is broken down into smaller numbers. For example, the basic formula might look like this:
$10 = $1+1+1+2+2+2+1. The amount can be divided as you like.
To make the first bet, you have to take the first and last digits and add them up.
1+1=2 dollars. That’s how much your first bet will be.
If the round brought you a win, cross out the numbers you used in the sequence – that is, the first and last numbers. You will be left with 1+1+2+2+2.
Repeat the process for the next step, again defining the bet as the sum of the extreme numbers: 1+2=$3.
If you win again, again cross out the numbers you just used. Continue playing until all the numbers are crossed out. After that, you should either end the game or start a new sequence.
When you lose, you must put the number with the amount you lose at the end of the sequence. For example, in the first round, you lost your first bet, we had it was $2. Put the number 2 at the end of the list without any strikethroughs.
Your formula would be: 1+1+1+2+2+2+1+2.
Follow the strategy until all the numbers are crossed out.
Once you’ve mastered the basic rules, you’ll find that the Labouchere roulette system is quite simple. It’s more complicated than Martingale, but it’s much more fun to play.
Cons of the Labouchere strategy
Like any other system, Labouchere is no guarantee, but it increases the odds of a favorable outcome for you. Its main disadvantage is that a long string of losses will make the sequence quite long. As a result, the game will take a long time. How much money you will need to continue the game, you can never determine in advance.
Important information: the minimum coefficient when using the Labouchere system for all betting is 2. The optimal number in a row is five, the minimum is three, and the maximum is depending on your amount.
Andrucci: a system based on probability theory
The Andrucci system is based on the principle of probability theory, which states that over time, every number must fall on the roulette wheel. There are no clear rules or guarantees, but many players claim that this strategy is one of the most profitable.
The meaning of the system
The essence of the game is that the player has to write down all the numbers that will fall out in 30-35 spins. Choosing the most frequent number, and betting on it for 15-25 spins you are likely to win. Calculating the prospects by analyzing the long-term event will also determine which color, even, or odd number falls out more often, depending on this bet.
This method is also good in combination with other systems.
The minus of the system
There are two drawbacks to the Andrucci system that scare away experienced players. First, it is based more on guesswork than on mathematical analysis. That means no guarantees. And secondly, it is difficult to use it when playing online roulette, because the result of the demo game and the live-money game can be different, and in this case, the calculation of the probability of falling out numbers loses all sense.
