This roulette tips section is designed for all of those players who are new to roulette, or any players who tend to rush in and play without putting their thinking caps on!
Have a quick read through- we can safely say that it will be worth your time- you might even save some money!
1. The majority of bets in any one roulette table have the same odds, which is based on the house edge: 2.7% for European Roulette and 5.4% for American Roulette (the lower the house edge, the better for the player. Another way of describing this would be payout which is 97.3% and 94.6% respectively). If you play French Roulette that has either the “en Prison” rule or “La Partage” rule, you can get this down even further to 1.3% (98.7% payout). When you make even money bets like Odd/Even, if the ball settles in the “0” pocket, your bet rides for one more spin, or you get a refund of half your bet.
2. Make sure you lean towards bets that give you a high table coverage with a decent chance of winning. This is particularly important if you have a small bankroll. So focus on the outside bets like Odd/Even, Columns or the Dozens bet. You can play some of the low coverage bets, but just play more of the high coverage ones on average. Yes, the pay outs are much higher on, say, the single number bets, but you may also go through longer dry patches. Your risk will be higher. You can always play multiple low coverage bets to get your table coverage % up.
3. Play roulette systems if you like (we have plenty of free roulette systems on Online Casino King) – but just keep in mind that you can’t improve your odds playing systems. These are set by the wheel design and payout structure- both of which are controlled by the casino. Don’t pay for roulette systems that claim to have solved the “roulette puzzle”. There is no such thing as a Roulette Enigma Machine! Systems are a good way of playing methodically and to a plan- there’s nothing wrong with that- but they won’t change the house edge.
4. If you do get lucky on a low coverage bet with a high pay out, then this could be a good time to walk away! Try to quit the table when you are ahead (easier said than done, we know).
5. Play European Roulette where you can, rather than American Roulette. The house edge on European Roulette is half the house edge on American Roulette. No further explanation is needed unless you like throwing your money away.
6. For an even lower house edge, play French Roulette, if you can find it, at a casino that runs “La Partage” or the “en prison” rule. You can get the house edge down even further to 1.3% as you get 50% of your bet back when the ball lands in the zero pocket (or you get another spin) on even money bets like red/black.
7. Avoid the five-number bet which has the worst odds on the table. You can only play this bet on an American wheel (which you should be playing at anyway- see above! The house edge on the 5 number bet is an eye watering 7.3%. Ouch!
8. Where possible, don’t play roulette games with lots of gizmos like IGT’s Double Spin Bonus roulette, for example. Mini Roulette from Playtech is another one that looks fun, but actually it is designed to get the house edge up. Novelty games like Zodiac Roulette have a higher house edge. The more stuff that is on the wheel that is not a red or black pocket, the worse off you are (in general). We are reminded of the mnemonic “KISS” (Keep it Simple Stupid). Play the simple games without all the bells and whistles, and chance are you’ll get the best odds.
9. Side bets like the progressive bet in Marvel Roulette and some of the roulette variants you find at IGT Casinos are also best kept to a minimum. Going back to point 2, these entice you in with big pay offs, but the house edge is high. It’s a lottery bet, basically. We all like the playing for the big life changing jackpots- just understand that it is a lottery type bet.
10. Finally, make sure you plan in some time away from the table (don’t play continuously for more than 30 minutes would be our best guess, but it’s down to you to set a time limit). Don’t chase losses and have fun. As with all casino games, it’s always a good idea to set a fixed stop loss limit and a profit target. Don’t change them mid session. Don’t bet more than you can afford to lose, and try to leave the table when you are ahead!
