Roulette, often referred to as the queen of casino games, is a very famous game of chance, the first in terms of number of players among table games. It is so famous that it has become an icon of our culture and has appeared in many books and movies. Who has never heard the croupier pronounce the legendary phrase “rien ne va plus” at the cinema or on TV?
If many think that roulette is always and only luck, the reality of this beautiful game is a bit different. Luck certainly plays the lion’s share – as it does in any game of chance – but it’s not just a matter of throwing a ball on a spinning wheel and waiting for it to stop.
But what is the ingredient that matters most in winning at roulette? Is there any strategy that increases one’s chances of winning? Several online casino “gurus” claim that yes, there are winning strategies, but is that really true? Let’s take a look at the most popular strategies and see if they really work.
Roulette players have developed strategies over time that aim to increase their chances of winning on the house. Here are the most famous ones.
– Always bet on red
This strategy consists of betting only on red for a set number of consecutive spins. It’s easy to think that if you stick to a bet, it has to come out sooner or later. In reality, the probability of winning is always the same with each bet, and is not affected at all by what happens in previous bets. In theory, it is possible to bet a million times on red and never win.
– Long-term betting and doubling the stake
This strategy requires the player to bet twice as much as the previous round in case of a loss, so as to return to the initial situation in case of a win. But this strategy assumes an “infinite” amount of money and often has the opposite effect on the player, because when he can no longer make bets (because he has no more money), he loses everything. Don’t forget that in casino games the house always has the advantage, and statistically in the long run it will always win.
– Using the mechanical strategy
This is a very special strategy because, compared to the others, it is really based on science and not just on statistical intuitions that actually have little value. This strategy aims to identify the weaknesses and physical imperfections of the roulette wheel by timing the wheel as it spins. Starting from the principle that the roulette wheel is constructed by a human being, it cannot be perfect and will necessarily have some defect that will cause the ball to end up in a number more than 1 time out of 35. This strategy requires the player to observe for many spins in order to establish the odds of the house advantage. Of course, it can only make sense in land-based casinos, and assuming the staff doesn’t catch you! In online casinos it is software that determines the outcome of the game.
