False logic of the Martingale system Many people become consumed by the seemingly intuitive math behind the martingale roulette system (which can also be applied to other games) The system works as follows: on even money outside bets with a near 50-50 chance, bet once. If you lose, place a bet for twice as much on the same spot. If you lose again, double the previous amounts bet. In the end, the theory is your bet has to win at some point and if you have kept doubling down on losses, the last bet will recoup everything you've lost and add an even money win on the original wager, putting you ahead, if just a little. The logic here is riddled with problems. First of all, in roulette you can't have a pure 50-50 chance bet because of those pesky green pockets. That fact aside, the system would seem like it has some legs, from a logical point of view. What roulette system sellers don't want to you realize is, the casinos have already guarded against any Martingale users by placing table limits on the bets. Ever wonder why there is an upper table limit? Don't the casinos want you to risk large amounts of money? The Martingale system is the exact reason for a table high existing. Following the Martingale method, you keep doubling your bets on a loss, and after a short string of losses in a row your bet is extremely large. From $5, to $10, $20, $40, $80, $160, $320, $OVER the table limit. So on the last bet before you can no longer double, you are putting $320 on the table with a potential for making $5… are you crazy? And what if you lose that last bet, you're out $635 bucks, if you win you're only up $5, ouch. This is a serious flaw in applying any Martingale type system to a casino game with upper table limits. My opinion on any roulette system is the same as my opinion on all other systems. For the most part they do not do what they purport (or say) to do. Now, I'm not saying they are useless, in fact they do usually have a use, and that's to spread your money around multiple bets, which often has the beneficial effect of stretching your money out over a longer period of time. There is no value in attempting to employ a roulette system to 'beat the casino', because if you were smart enough to, the casinos would likely put you to work for them, and that has very little to do with how casinos hire. I have nothing against looking at some more serious attempts to bring the advantage towards the players. One of these techniques is the search for biased wheels. There is some merit to this endeavor. I'm sure a few people have made real money off of a biased wheel, but the effort involved is phenomenal. Casinos spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on a roulette wheel, and don't have any desire to replace it every year. Over a long period of time it's possible that the detailed engineering that went into the roulette wheel's construction has degraded from extensive use. Once this happens, a tilt in the wheel or any one of a million small but consistent anomalies may arise. If you had a computer to measure the exact spinning patterns of a roulette wheel, you could record results consistently and try to determine any patterns that repeat. If there are, you can alter your play to exploit this advantage. Biased wheels are not just hard to find, but even if you do, they are difficult to take advantage of. You would be required to have a mini-computer watching the wheel at least initially to find the bias, and modern casinos monitor their entire floor for any electronic device emitting a signal. Online is a different story of course, and many software applications exists that monitor online casino roulette wheels for biases. The problem is, the online casinos have this software too, and most likely test the heck out of their software before releasing it. You can find some of this type of software in our

There is no such thing as a roulette strategy as it is a game of chance where the house odds are the same no matter what bet is placed. The player only has to place the bet and the croupier does the rest. The only time the house odds deviate from the norm is on the special line bet where the house odds actually increase. The only way a player can increase his chances of winning is to pick a table that has less of an edge. This can be done, as there are three varieties of roulette that can be played. So the best chance of winning is to play in Europe where the house odds are lower. In America roulette is normally played on a double zero wheel and this gives the house a 5.26% edge over the player. In Europe however the single zero wheel game is played where there is no 00 number and this lowers the house odds to a 2.7% edge, this version of the game has recently been introduced to some American casinos. If you play in some European casinos like Monte Carlo there is also the a variation of the game called 'en prison' which can lower the house edge to 1.35%. This version works by when the zero is the winning number the house doesn't claim all of the players wager instead the player is given the option of losing half their wager or waiting for the next turn an if the number comes up next time the player gets the original wager back. This explains why the game of roulette is far more popular in Europe than the United States.

The winner in this competition is European Roulette, which has half the house edge of the American counterparts, and, with a certain rule in effect, that (lower) edge can be cut in half yet again. But we are not without hope, for many of the online casinos offer the European version, although the ones with the wagering options printed in French may take some getting used to. And, there are some casinos in the U.S. which offer European Roulette, but these usually have very high bet minimums. One exception to this is the Monte Carlo casino in Las Vegas, which offers European Roulette with $10 minimums during non-peak periods. The house advantage for American Roulette is 5.26%; for the European version 2.70%, and if the latter has the En Prison rule, that edge is reduced to a very respectable 1.35%. This rule allows you either to surrender half your wager, or leave it there for the next spin. (Your wager is in fact held captive) European Roulette, with En Prison is very popular in Europe with systems players, for its leisurely pace and low edge are very appealing. The American version generally moves faster, which is another drawback that compounds the penalty of the higher edge, for it compels players to react faster, to the benefit of the house. But the American versions are not beyond redemption; I just want to stress the importance of seeking out the European version when circumstances allow. Terminology of European roulette
French-style (European) Roulette, is the version played on many cruise ships, in most casinos in Europe, and in a small but growing number of gaming establishments in the United States. If you find yourself playing at one of these tables, expect to find French terms on the table layout and French words being spoken by the croupiers. French terms for roulette bets and other common expressions in this game are found below.

Like all table games you can play at the casino, roulette has what are known as 'table limits'. These limits define how little you must bet at the table, and how much you are allowed to bet. You may be confused as to why casinos would limit the upper amount of what you may spend at one time when you play roulette, but that little secret is revealed on our roulette systems page. The lower limit at a roulette table comes into effect in two different ways: one for inside bets, and another for outside bets. You are required to play the table minimum at least on each of your outside bets; on inside bets the total of all of your bets must meet or exceed the table minimum. This bit of information is all you need to know in order to start to play roulette.

Inside Bets

As we know, there are two types of bet you can place when you play roulette: outside bets and inside bets. Lets start by looking at the inside bets. The inside bets are made up of specific numbers or combinations of numbers within the number layout, or along the border of it. Remember, the total of all of your bets must add up to at least the table minimum. This means if your table minimum is five dollars, you can put one dollar down on five different numbers and be ok. The same is not true for outside bets.

Straight-up bet - This is the bet you may think of first in roulette. Pick a single number, and if it comes up you win. This bet pays back at 35 to 1.

Split bet - This bet allows you to place a single bet on two different numbers if those numbers are beside each other on the table layout. To play this bet put your chips down on the line between them. This bet pays 17 to 1 if either of your chosen numbers come up.

Street bet - This bet is just like the split bet, but you're splitting over three numbers. You accomplish this by placing chips on the outside of the row of numbers you want to bet on. So if you want to bet on the numbers 1, 2, and 3 all at once, put your chips down on the line that is the outside edge of the 3. This bet pays 11 to 1.

Corner bet - The corner bet is another combination wager, letting you bet on four adjoining numbers. Placing your chips at the point where four numbers meet will indicate you want a corner bet. This is sometimes referred to as a square bet. If any of the four numbers come up, you're paid 8 to 1.

Fiver number bet - There is only one five number bet available, and as such, it's referred to as the five number bet. To play this bet put your chips at the intersection of 0 and 1 on the corner (not the corner that joins with two, but the other one) You can win if any of 0, 00, 1, 2, or 3 are hit. You are paid 6 to 1. Sadly this is bet has a higher house edge of any others when you play roulette.