Roulette Strategy and Betting Systems
Is Roulette Beatable?
The first thing i want to talk about is whether roulette is actually beatable. Various systems say that roulette is beatable but i am yet to find one that can prove that it can overcome the house’s mathematical edge.
In case you did not know, the single 0 on European roulette wheel is what provides the house with a mathematical edge. The house edge on the European roulette wheel is 2.7%. This means for every $100 you wager your expected loss is $2.7.
What makes me skeptical about all roulette systems is that they never provide any concrete evidence on how they can overcome the house edge.
Gamblers Fallacy
A common strategy i hear in several roulette systems is waiting until a certain color has come up several times in a row and then placing a bet on the opposite color. The scam artists claim that because a color has come up a certain amount of times, the other color is due to come up next. This is incorrect, just because a color has come up 5 times in a row, the odds are still exactly the same on the next spin. Each spin is independent and the house has that 2.7% edge on each spin due to that annoying little green square.
Martingale System
The Martingale system is without a double the most famous roulette system and has been around for a very long time. The premise of the Martingale system is that you bet a small amount on a single outcome (Usually red or black) and if you win the bet you bank the small profit. Should you loose the Martingale system advocates doubling your bet until win.
An example of a Martingale betting strategy would be as follows:
| Bet Number | Bet Amount |
| Bet 1 | $1 |
| Bet 2 | $2 |
| Bet 3 | $4 |
| Bet 4 | $8 |
| Bet 5 | $16 |
| Bet 6 | $32 |
| Bet 7 | $64 |
| Bet 8 | $128 |
| Bet 9 | $256 |
| Bet 10 | $512 |
As you can see a small bet gets very large very quickly. Although the odds of losing 10 even money bets in a row is extremely rare, it does happen and if you play for a long enough time you will eventually lose.
The only way the martingale system would be profitable in the long term would be if the two following requirements were met:
- You had an unlimited supply of money.
- There were no table betting limits.
Both of us know that both of these requirements are fictional. Only Bill Gates has an unlimited supply of money and all casino’s have a maximum betting limit. Therefore, eventually you will lose to the casino using the Martingale system.
Martingale System Video
Fibonacci System
The Fibonacci System is a system like the Martingale system but it is less aggressive. By aggressive i mean that once you have lost the first bet, the system aims to break even and minimize loss instead of claiming your original bet as profit.
So for example, the order of bets would be something like this: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21.
Compared to the Martingale system there is less risk of escalating to massive numbers quickly. That being said the system still proves to be a long term losing system.
Reverse Martingale System
The reverse Martingale system is interesting. Instead of doubling your bet each round, you start off by betting 1 and doubling your bet should you win.
Basically what you are counting on is a long string of wins in order to win a large sum of money. So for example, prior to playing you decide you will take your winnings if you win 6 times in a row. You start off by betting $1, every time you lose you keep betting $1, eventually you will string enough wins together to win 6 times and pocket a large sum of money ($1+$2+$4+$8+$16+$32 =$63 )
Although this sounds appealing because you will only lose $1 on each attempt, this is still a mathematically losing system and will not show a profit in the long run.
Reverse Fibonacci System
The reverse Fibonacci system is perhaps the most interesting of all roulette systems to me. The reason for this is that it is possible to walk away with a win despite losing mid sequence. That being said, the odds are the same in all roulette systems and i don’t promise that you will win using it. Like the reverse Martingale you have to pick a spot where you are happy to walk away and take the profit.
Here is an example betting sequence using the reverse Fibonacci system: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55.
