A thorough introduction to the roulette game can be found in Roulette Revelations: Unraveling the Odds and Best Bets. The fundamentals of roulette are covered in the book, along with the various game variations, betting options, and odds and probabilities related to each wager. The Martingale, Fibonacci, and D’Alembert systems, as well as other betting methods, are covered in the book. The book also offers advice on increasing your chances of winning and managing your bankroll.
It is simple to follow and written in a clear, concise manner. The author does a good job of clearly articulating the intricate mathematical principles underlying the roulette game. There are also several useful charts and tables in the book.
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Roulette Best Bets
While no wager in roulette can ensure a win due to the game’s inherent randomness, some wagers are typically regarded as better based on their likelihood of success and the payout provided. Due to the additional double zero (’00’) on the American roulette wheel, it is significant to note that the odds between American and European roulette are different. Here are some of the top roulette wagers:
Even Money Bets
Even Money Bets are among the safest bets in roulette due to their near 50-50 outcome, placing bets on red/black, odd/even, and high/low (1-18/19-36). Their winning chance stands at approximately 48.65% in European roulette and 47.37% in American roulette; their payout ratio, however, stands at 1:1, meaning if you bet $10, then your return would equal exactly that original stake plus another $10 from winning your bet back as your original stake again!
Column/Dozen Bets
Another popular bet in roulette, Column/Dozen Bets are another popular set of wagers that cover 12 numbers on the roulette layout and can be placed on one of three columns or three dozens (1-12, 13-24, or 25-36). Offering slightly higher returns of 2:1 with winning probabilities estimated to be 32.43% for European roulette and 31.58% for American roulette, respectively.
Straight Up Bets
Straight bets involve betting on just one number. Although they offer the highest possible return of 35:1, these bets can be highly risky due to a low probability of winning; 2.7% in European roulette and 2.633% in American roulette are the numbers you can expect with this bet type – yet they still come with the highest house edge!
Split Bets
Split bets involve placing your bet on the line between two adjacent numbers and winning if either number comes up – giving a 17:1 payout and a winning probability of 5.41% in European roulette and 5.26% in American roulette.
Corner Bets
Also referred to as square bets, corner bets allow players to select four numbers that meet in a corner on the roulette layout and wager them accordingly. Suppose any one of the four appears as a winning number. In that case, these bets offer an 8:1 payout with winning probabilities ranging between 10.81% in European roulette and 10.53% in American roulette – not as high as even money bets yet still offering a good risk-reward ratio.
How to calculate roulette payouts?
In general, payout calculations in roulette follow this formula:
Payout = (36/n – 1) : 1
n is the total number of winning numbers in your chosen type of bet, and 1 represents your potential profit in units betted (i.e., if you place a $1 bet and the payout ratio is 35:1, winnings would equal $35 plus your original bet amount if successful).
Assuming you’re placing a straight-up bet (betting on a single number), there will only ever be one winning number, and thus 1 = 1. This formula calculates the payout as follows: (36/1 – 1) = 1, simplifying to 35:1. should your straight-up bet win, you will receive $35 plus your original $1 bet back!
Split bets involve betting on two numbers simultaneously. Therefore their payout ratio is calculated as (36/2 – 1): 1, or 17: 1. For instance, if you win one for $1, then your total returns would include this extra win amount plus what was originally staked as your original bet amount of $17 plus whatever your original staked amount may have been.
Corner bets involve betting on four numbers simultaneously; therefore, n equals 4. Their payout ratio is (36/4 – 1): 1, or 8-1. Winning one $1 corner bet would net you $8 plus your original $1 bet.
Roulette odds
European roulette contains 37 slots (numbers 1-36 and one single zero), while American roulette contains 38 (numbers 1-36, one single zero, and two double zeroes). As American roulette contains one extra zero slot than its European counterpart, its odds vary significantly due to this additional slot; here is how this breaks down:
Straight-Up Bet: An individual number bet with odds of 1 in 37 for European roulette (2.7%) and 1 in 38 (2.63%) for American roulette.
Split Bet: For European roulette, the chances of success with this bet are 1 in 37 (5.4%), while for American roulette, they increase to 1 in 38 (5.26%).
Street Bet: A three-number bet with odds of winning 3 in 37 (8.1%) for European roulette and 3 in 38 (7.89%) for American roulette.
Corner Bet: When betting on four numbers simultaneously, the chances of success are 4 out of 37 (10.8%) in European roulette and 4 out of 38 (10.53%) in American roulette.
Line Bet: This bet involves six numbers with odds of winning 1 in 37 (16.2% for European roulette) and 15 in 38 (15.79%) for American roulette.
Column/Dozen Bet: When placing this bet on 12 numbers, its odds of success are one out of 37 (32.4%) for European roulette and one in 38 (31.58%) for American roulette.
Even Money Bet: An even money bet involves placing 18 numbers (red, black, even, odd, 1-18, 19-36) between red and black in both European roulette (48.6% chance) and American roulette (47.37% chance). For Europeans, the chances of success are 18 in 37 (48.6% chance of victory); 18 out of 38 (47.37%).
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Roulette strategy
Roulette strategies can assist in your bet decisions, yet no strategy can guarantee a win since roulette is ultimately a game of chance. Below are a few well-known strategies:
Martingale Strategy: One of the best-known roulette strategies, designed for bets that give almost 50-50 odds (such as red/black, odd/even, or 1-18/19-36). After each loss, you double your bet until you eventually win back all losses with a small profit equal to the original bet. However, this could result in large losses should a losing streak extend too long!
Reverse Martingale Strategy: As its name implies, this strategy takes the opposite approach to that used by Martingale betting – instead of doubling up after each loss, you double it up after each victory. The idea is to capitalize on winning streaks while limiting losses when not on such lucky streaks.
D’Alembert Strategy: This method offers more security than its counterpart, the Martingale: you increase or decrease your bet after each loss or win; its operating principle rests on an equilibrium assumption, meaning there should be an equal number of wins and losses over time.
Fibonacci Strategy: With this strategy, players follow the Fibonacci sequence (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, and so forth), where each number represents the sum of its two preceding ones. After every loss in this strategy is made up, one step forward in the Fibonacci sequence determines their next bet. At the same time, after every win, it moves back two steps again – providing a slow but potentially profitable strategy against losing streaks.
James Bond Strategy: This roulette strategy, named for the fictional spy James Bond, involves placing multiple bets to cover most of the numbers on the roulette table, excluding zero and numbers 1 through 12 without necessarily changing the house edge and can result in significant short-term gains or substantial losses.