American Roulette is a game of luck, but there do exist some betting strategies that can help you manage your money and potentially improve your chances of winning. Evidently, each strategy has its own pros and cons, and so understanding how they work is key to using them to your advantage. This guide covers the most common betting strategies with clear explanations and practical examples to help get you started.
With the exception of the James Bond method, the most common betting techniques are based on outside bets (red or black, odd or even, low (1-18) or high (19-36).
The Martingale
The Martingale is one of the most popular strategies. It involves doubling your bet after every loss in order to recover previous losses. This method of play applies mainly to bets on simple odds, such as flushes. The idea is to return to your original bet once you win. For example, if you start with a $10 bet and lose, you will then bet $20 on the next spin. If you lose again, you will bet $40, and so on.
- Example:
- First bet: $10 (loss)
- Second bet: $20 (loss)
- Third bet: $40 (win)
- Net result: +$10
- Advantages: Simple to understand and apply with the potential to recover losses.
- Disadvantages: Risk of significant losses if you encounter a long losing streak. Casino betting limits may prevent you from continuing to double.
The Grand Martingale
The Grand Martingale is a variation of the Martingale. It involves doubling your bet and adding an additional amount after each loss. This approach certainly allows for higher potential wins but also increases the risk of big losses.
- Example:
- First bet: $10 (loss)
- Second bet: $20 + $10 = $30 (loss)
- Third bet: $60 + $10 = $70 (win)
- Net result: +$10
- Advantages: Higher potential wins compared to the classic Martingale strategy.
- Disadvantages: Greater risk and quicker losses if your losing streak continues.
The Paroli Strategy
The Paroli strategy is a positive progression system where you double your bet after each win as opposed to after each loss. The goal is to capitalize on winning streaks without risking too much money.
- Example:
- First bet: $10 (win)
- Second bet: $20 (win)
- Third bet: $40 (loss)
- Net result: +$10
- Advantages: Less risky since losses are limited to the initial bet.
- Disadvantages: Winning streaks are not guaranteed, and potential profits may be somewhat limited.
The D’Alembert Strategy
The D’Alembert strategy is a more conservative approach. Here, bets are increased by one unit after a loss and decreased by one unit after a win. This helps to limit risks while aiming to recover losses over the longer term.
- Example:
- First bet: $10 (loss)
- Second bet: $11 (loss)
- Third bet: $12 (win)
- Fourth bet: $11 (win)
- Net result: +$2
- Advantages: Less risky than the Martingale, slower progression.
- Disadvantages: May take longer to generate significant winnings.
The Reverse D’Alembert Strategy
The Reverse D’Alembert involves increasing your bet by one unit after each win and decreasing it after each loss. This method aims to take advantage of winning streaks.
- Example:
- First bet: $10 (win)
- Second bet: $11 (win)
- Third bet: $12 (loss)
- Fourth bet: $11 (win)
- Net result: +$12
- Advantages: Maximizes profits during winning streaks.
- Disadvantages: May lead to losses if wins are followed by losses.
The Fibonacci Strategy
This strategy uses the Fibonacci sequence, where each bet is the sum of the two previous bets after a loss. After a win, you move back two steps in the sequence.
- Example:
- First bet: $10 (loss)
- Second bet: $10 (loss)
- Third bet: $20 (loss)
- Fourth bet: $30 (win)
- Net result: +$10
- Advantages: Slow progression and reduces the risk of large losses.
- Disadvantages: May require numerous bets to recover losses.
The James Bond Strategy
The James Bond strategy involves covering a substantial portion of the table with multiple bets to increase your winning odds. For example, with a $200 bet, you could wager $140 on numbers 19-36, $50 on numbers 13-18, and $10 on zero.
- Example:
- If the result is a number between 19 and 36, you win $80.
- If the result is a number between 13 and 18, you win $100.
- If the result is zero, you win $160.
- Advantages: Covers most outcomes which increases the likelihood of a win.
- Disadvantages: Can result in significant losses if a non-chosen number comes up.
Roulette Game Strategies
| Strategy | Risk Level | Potential Profit | Betting Progression |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martingale | High | Moderate | Double after each loss |
| Grand Martingale | Very High | High | Double + fixed amount |
| Paroli | Low to Moderate | Moderate to High | Double after each win |
| D’Alembert | Moderate | Slow | Increase by one unit |
| Reverse D’Alembert | Moderate | Variable | Increase after each win |
| Fibonacci | Moderate | Slow | Based on Fibonacci sequence |
| James Bond | Moderate to High | High | Multiple bets |
These strategies can help you approach American Roulette with a pre-determined plan of action. However, it’s important to remember that roulette is primarily a game of pure luck. As such, no strategy can guarantee a win and it’s crucial to gamble responsibly.
Tips
By applying a betting strategy featured in our French Roulette guide, you’ll reduce the house edge. Indeed, when zero is the winning bet, this variant of casino roulette includes a special rule that refunds half of losing bets on single odds. In practice, after a large number of games, players benefit from a better payout rate. In American Roulette, the rate is 94.74%, while in the French variant it stands at 98.65%. This game rule does not exist in American Roulette. What’s more, in French Roulette, there are no double zeros which further reduces the house edge.