Though the game of roulette might look like a completely random game, there are many players out there who keep making the same mistake and losing time and time again. We’ve all been in the casino and seen the guy that watches the wheel spin time and time again only to watch it continuously come up empty. While the roulette wheel has all the glitz and glamour needed to be a can’t miss casino game, that’s not to say that it can’t take you to the cleaners if you’re not careful. Thankfully, I’m here to help make sure that your next spin of the roulette wheel is one that sees the odds stacked in your favor.
Yes, roulette might be a game of random outcomes, or that is at least how it appears to the naked eye, but I have spent years studying the game of roulette and the players that love it, observing strategies that people have developed to boost their chances of winning. I’ve managed to identify some common issues that players may not know to avoid. There are plenty of factors in a roulette game, after all, so here’s what you need to watch out for.
Ready to learn a thing or two about roulette? Grab your pen and paper, as I’m about to tell you the pitfalls to dodge next time your step up to the wheel.
Tip 1 – Balance the Books (and Your Bankroll)
Many players who step up to the wheel can feel invincible, which can lead to them blowing their bankroll and losing money far too early in the evening. Again, we’ve all seen it happen many times over. Managing your bankroll responsibly is a fundamental part of playing any casino game, but especially when it comes to lasting more than a couple of rounds at the roulette wheel.
The trick is to really think about how fast you lose money and whether you’re staking too much on each spin. Building your winnings over a series of time and limiting your losses can be a better overall take than betting a huge amount of money as an all-or-nothing last-ditch bid for a big payout. Don’t ever chase losses and keep a grip on your bankroll.
It’s my recommendation to stick to betting a low percentage of your total bankroll every time, no more than around 5%. Don’t let winning streaks cloud your judgment either – stick to that rule. It is very easy to get carried away when winning at roulette, as there is nothing quite like that winning feeling. But, letting that winning feeling run wild could very well see you run into a losing bet sooner rather than later. Working on a percentage-based model allows you to keep a close eye on your bankroll when playing roulette, with it actually leading to my next tip.
Tip 2 – Winning and Losing Streaks Come and Go
Roulette strategies can rely on a lot of things, including luck and skill. Pattern playing is a popular strategy for the roulette table, but it’s important to remember that a streak of losses will always follow a streak of wins. Factoring in a “stop-loss” (stop playing at a certain number of wins or losses) or even just a bet size reduction can quickly increase the number of winnings you actually get to take home with you. If you trade stocks, shares, and commodities (and even cryptocurrency) you’ll be well aware of what a stop loss is and just how pivotal it can be to protecting your bottom line, the exact same applies when it comes to playing roulette.
I can’t think of a single time where I was watching a player on a winning streak that just kept winning. Eventually, those wins will turn to losses, and the player will find that the roulette tables have turned. This can result in players completely blowing not only all of those winnings but also their entire bankroll because they can’t let that winning streak go. Remember, in casino games, you can’t take the losses or the wins personally, or you’ll lose it to the emotion of the game. The emotion of winning is pretty powerful, don’t let it control you and certainly don’t let it crush your winnings.
Tip 3 – Keep a Close Eye on Your Performance
One observation that many roulette players make, especially after getting carried away and losing their bankroll, is that they should have stopped playing at a certain amount of losses, or even immediately after the first loss following their win streak. Even with all of the strategies in existence, roulette is still a game that’s based on random chance, so all the outcomes are random. When you play, there’s no way to know for sure whether you’ll win or lose. Roulette is a game of predominantly luck, with enough strategy involved to control the betting side of the game.
This is why it helps to keep an eye on what you are doing and when. Noting down a win/loss ratio can serve as a starting guide. This is a less effective strategy for players who change their numbers often, as the stats will be difficult to make sense of. Sticking to a select few numbers can give you a ratio of wins and losses to work with. Knowledge is power in the game of roulette, so having your data and statistics by your side on each spin can only boost your performance.
Tip 4 – The Power of the Stop Loss
We mentioned the term stop-loss earlier, as it is one of the most effective tools in a roulette player’s belt is a “stop-loss.” This puts an immediate end to losing streaks, protecting both the player’s winnings and their bankroll, allowing you to go back to betting normally when your numbers actually start hitting again. Setting a rule for the moment to trigger that stop loss and start playing again can make your wins last longer and allow you to take home more money.
As an example, my stop loss is applied when I have three losses in a row when betting on the even chances, Red or Black. I only begin betting when one of the numbers of the color that I’m following hits. This way, I end up saving money in losses in the long run, instead of betting on games that I lose. Due to stop loss having a connection of market trading, many assume that they can be tough to implement. The reality couldn’t be any further from the truth, as you don’t even need software to do it, just a simple pen and paper record should suffice.
Tip 5 – Never, Ever Chase Your Losses
This is one of the key reasons why a player might go from boom to bust in a heartbeat, you should never chase your losses, as it will ultimately lead you down a very dark path. The real trick to roulette is the same trick that applies to any casino game, which is that understanding that no matter how you play, you will experience both wins and losses. Managing your bankroll and taking this to heart, you should also make sure not to get stuck in a position that makes you want to chase your losses.
While recovering from losses is sometimes possible, we won’t say that it won’t, the overwhelming majority of the time chasing your losses just leads to more losses. The truth is that losing your bankroll is always a possibility, no matter how well you play, and factoring that it can help you resist the urge to chase losses with more losses. When the wheel does get the best of you, understand that this is simply part of the game and don’t let it tear up your overall game plan. Keep a cool head and do your best to not chase those losses, no matter how tempting it might be to do so.
This is a tip that the professionals take to heart when playing online roulette, and you should too.
Tip 6 – Time Limits Will Keep You Under Control
A session of roulette is the number of games that you bet on in a given day, either all at once or spread out through the day. There is no point in winning the game only to lose it in the same 24 hours, after all. The hardest part of winning is to breakeven. Sometimes you’ll gain all of your bankrolls back, sometimes you’ll only gain a small portion of it. On average, though, the professional roulette player is only looking for a small increase with every session of games.
It’s easy for a roulette session to run on for 10, 20, 30, or more games, soaking up hours of time. It’s a fun game at the end of the day, but you have to play with control in mind. Setting a time limit for your roulette play gives you that control. We recommend setting one or two hours aside per session, which is plenty of time to win, lose, or break even. A time limit can improve your focus and your overall roulette performance.
Tip 7 – Changing Wheels Won’t Change Performance
A losing streak can make players want to change wheels, but the truth is that players need to understand that they will win and lose, and those wins and losses will follow each other. There is no such thing as a “lucky” or “unlucky” wheel just because of the games you’ve played on it. Roulette is, above all, random no matter the wheel or game variation that you choose to play.
Sometimes a player may end up changing and actually winning, but this is only because the outcome favored the player’s bet selection. Changing the wheel had nothing to do with the win because the wheel the player just left could also have given him a win with the same odds. Every roulette wheel has slightly different odds, but to think that just changing up the wheel is going to snap you out of a losing streak or keep a hot streak alive is foolish thinking to say the very least.
Tip 8 – Always Adopt an Effective Roulette Strategy
Many people have their own way of deciding their bets, but for those who play roulette at the world’s online casinos, sticking to a strategy involves a lot more than going to a physical table. Your roulette strategy should tell you when and when not to bet, as well as explain when to increase or decrease wagers when to flat bet, when to completely stop betting and when to start again, and maybe even more.
There is a lot involved in a decent, effective roulette strategy. So, when considering your strategy, make sure to cover all the aspects in addition to the stats and odds, so you don’t have to worry about losing as much of your bankroll. Thankfully, there are a huge number of pre-established roulette strategies out there, including the likes of Martingale, Fibonacci, Reverse Martingale, Labouchere, James Bond, and more just to name a few. Each of these strategies has a different risk approach and bankroll suitability.
Understanding of your own situation is key, but we would certainly recommend trailing the many strategies around with a limited bankroll to see what works for you.
Tip 9 – Forget About the Myths and Legends
Where do we even begin with this particular tip? There are a ton of myths about roulette out there that seasoned players have heard over and over. One big one is that a dealer (or whoever is running the table) can decide whether you win or lose. This is an irrational belief that many players still hold, but the mechanics just aren’t there. If it were possible for a dealer to definitively cause you to win or lose, there would be evidence of it in the last 100 years. No evidence has ever really existed of a croupier controlling the game, with online casinos and the use of RNG more or less putting the rumor of croupier-controlled tables to rest.
A casino has an advantage with its house edge, that’s just the way it is, but there’s not a specific dealer out there making you win or lose your roulette game. This is even more ridiculous in online roulette – dealers can’t even see who you are in that case. Next time you’re at the casino or you hear the usual online chit-chat that a roulette game is rigged, you’ll know better than to believe it, as the myth of rigged games is just that… it’s a myth.
Tip 10 – Ignore the Lucky (and Unlucky) Feelings
A major part of roulette (and many casino games) is luck, but we’re sure you don’t need us to explain that to you. When you’re not sticking to a strategy rooted heavily in rules, it’s all about luck, as you have absolutely nothing else to lean on. There can be plenty of times when you’re playing that you “feel” lucky or unlucky, and sometimes the outcome of your game may seem to validate those feelings. It is, however, completely impossible to determine whether or not you’re going to win or lose before the game, regardless of your lucky or unlucky feelings.
The feeling of luck (or lack thereof) is only a feeling, and like other emotions, it can really impact your performance at the wheel. Shake those feelings loose, stick to a strategy, and you’ll find that if you can play roulette with an emotionless approach (we know it’s hard to do) then you’ll be a much better player for it – especially over the long-term.
Bonus Tip – Be Careful Where You Play
The phrase bang for the buck is commonly overused in the world of casino play, but when it comes to roulette and other table games it certainly has more meaning. As a means to extend your bankroll, you need to play somewhere that respects you as a player and more importantly respects the cold, hard cash that you are investing in the game. Casino bonuses should never be ignored, as they can stretch your bankroll beyond belief, just make sure you read the terms and conditions attached to make sure you’re getting a good deal.
Almost every land-based and online casino in the world will offer you roulette in some form or another, but will they offer you enough variety to keep the game feeling fresh? Probably not. You need to be playing somewhere that at least serves up the usual versions of roulette in American, European, and French. It would be of extra benefit if they offered the popular live casino versions of the game.
You’re Ready to Rock Roulette!
Roulette is a game that is all thrills more often than not, with it certainly being a fun way of turning a small amount of money into something much bigger. The beating heart of roulette is a chance, but even in a random game of chance, there are plenty of things that you can do to better organize how you play and reduce your chances of blowing your bankroll.
Using the tips above can offer you a chance to take home more money and enjoy the game without worrying too much about breaking the bank. Now, what are you waiting for? Take a long look at your bankroll, formulate a game plan, and start showing the roulette wheels of the world exactly what you are made of!
