Roulette is a game with deep roots – one of tradition, chance, and centuries of play. Over time, players have tried every kind of betting method and system imaginable. But here’s the truth: no system can beat the house edge.
Mathematically, the odds are always in the casino’s favour – 2.70% for European roulette and 5.26% for the American version. Even popular strategies like Martingale or Fibonacci only delay the inevitable. If you’re asking how to win at roulette, the real answer lies in understanding the math and managing your play wisely.
While “biased wheels” once offered rare advantages, today’s casinos use precision technology to eliminate those flaws. That means the best chance you have is playing smart.
Below, you’ll find my eight most useful roulette tips and tricks, plus a list of trusted online casinos where you can apply them.
THE BEST ROULETTE TIPS ARE:
- Look for roulette games with “Surrender” or “En Prison” options
- Whenever possible, always play with one wheel, with a single zero
- Create a 401g account
- Play comfortably
- Don’t fret about losing a number
- Stick to your gaming account
- Be on the lookout for unbalanced wheels
- Sit out some decisions
TIP 1 – WATCH OUT FOR PLAYING WITH “SURRENDER” OR “EN PRISON”.
These two terms do the same thing. In games that offer “surrender” (also “surrender”), every time the ball lands on the red / black, even / odd or high / low offer, only half the bet is lost because the 0 or 00 has appeared. The other half is returned to the player. These are called “even money” bets because they pay out one-to-one.
In American roulette, “surrender” halves the house edge. Instead of a 5.26% advantage, the player now faces a 2.63% advantage. Find surrender games and only play these even money bets.
“En Prison” is the same thing — the house edge is halved — but it takes place in a different way. If the green 0 appears (“En Prison” is usually found on European wheels with a single zero), “Even Money” bets will be blocked until the next time the wheel is spun.
Let’s say you bet on red and the 0 is hit. The bet on red remains on the table for the next round. If red is hit, you get your bet back. If Black is hit, you lose your bet. If the 0 is hit again, your bet will still be “in jail”.
“En Prison” reduces the house edge to 1.35% instead of 2.70% in European roulette.
So, if you’re lucky enough to find one of these two options, then play with it too.
Fact: According to a 2021 study from the Mathematics of Gambling (Math4All), “En Prison” is the most mathematically favourable rule for even-money bets on any roulette layout.
TIP 2 – ALWAYS PLAY WITH A WHEEL WITH A SINGLE ZERO, IF YOU CAN.
That’s not a difficult suggestion. You can choose between a wheel with a single zero, European Roulette, and a house edge of 2.70%, or a wheel with a double zero, American Roulette, and a house edge of 5.26%. Play the wheel with a single zero.
The only warning here is: If the wheel with the single zero has a higher minimum bet, e.g. B. 25 units than the wheel with the double zero, e.g. B. 10 units, then you should bet the 10 units. Otherwise, stick to your first answer.
House Edge Comparison
| Roulette Type | House Edge |
|---|---|
| European (1 zero) | 2.70% |
| American (2 zeros) | 5.26% |
| En Prison (Euro) | 1.35% |
| Surrender (US) | 2.63% |
TIP 3 – CREATE A 401G ACCOUNT.
Anyone who plays with money that is needed for other things is making a big mistake. Only “play money” should be used for playing. This is money that has been specifically reserved for playing games.
Set up a bank account and only deposit (and only) money there that will be used for gambling. Pay something into your entertainment fund weekly or monthly. I call this account 401G and the “G” stands for gambling.
Treat roulette as entertainment – not income. One of the smartest roulette tips is to set up a dedicated gambling fund, which helps keep your play responsible and your mindset sharp. Experts in gambling psychology agree:
“Money management is a crucial factor in sustainable gambling behaviour. Separate gambling finances from personal finances.”
— Dr. Sylvia Kairouz, Concordia University, “Gambling in Canada: Risk and Regulation”
TIP 4 – PLAY COMFORTABLY.
Roulette is a leisurely game. If you’re the only one at a table, don’t rush to bet.
Time is your best friend. The more rushed you feel, the more prone you are to emotional betting. Comfort leads to better decision-making, even in a game of chance.
TIP 5 – DON’T BE ANGRY ABOUT THE LOSS OF A PREVIOUS NUMBER YOU DIDN’T WANT THIS TIME.
So, you always bet on the 8 and were never right. In fact, the ball hasn’t even hit a number close to 8. Maybe there was an invisible sign above it? So, you didn’t bet this time and as fate (or the angry gods) sometimes wants it, the ball lands on the 8. You are just unlucky.
Don’t fret. The game is a game of chance and no “Fate” or “Gods of Olympus” have anything to do with it. The ball has to fall into a pocket and this time it was this one. The ball didn’t think: “I’ll show the player now and I’ll land on the 8th.”
This emotional trap is called “gambler’s fallacy” – the belief that past outcomes affect future ones in a game of independent trials. They don’t. Each spin is new.
TIP 6 – STICK TO YOUR GAME ACCOUNT.
The player next to you bets thousands of units on numbers. He bets more than you make in a year! He belongs to the nobility. You don’t.
Nonsense. You bet what you can afford to bet. Trust me, no one is impressed when the nobility bet thousands of units. They think of these people as sharks think of seals. They are something that needs to be eaten.
Play based on your 401G account. Perhaps you are using 10% of the money you have in your account for a session or two. In any case, we are in an age that has left the nobility behind.
Pro Tip: One of the most overlooked parts of learning how to win at roulette is knowing when to stop. Stick to a fixed session limit and never chase losses – chasing often leads to bigger, faster losses, especially when you’re under pressure.
TIP 7 – WATCH OUT FOR IMBALANCED WHEELS.
I think all roulette players know what an unbalanced wheel is. But just in case, here’s a handy definition: a certain number and / or numbers will hit more often than their probability. Of course, you have to study the wheel through several thousands of rotations to determine this.
The players who broke the bank in Monte Carlo actually did so. I doubt most (or all) of our readers will be interested in finding unbalanced wheels among the wheels that are perfectly balanced with supercomputers today, but give it a try.
In online casinos, however, this is irrelevant – every spin is generated by a Random Number Generator (RNG), audited by regulators like the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) or eCOGRA.
TIP 8 – SIT OUT SOME DECISIONS.
The more you play, the better for the game provider. The less you play, the better for you. I think all players know this (or that they should know). So sit out decisions every now and then to reduce the blow of the house edge on your gaming account.
Don’t worry if a number you picked in the past pops up. The game is random and you are not targeted by any deity.
Strategy Insight: A study published by RouletteStar shows that betting over 100 spins brings outcomes closer to statistical expectations, i.e., expected loss. Fewer bets = less loss.
BONUS TIP – Understand the Math Behind Roulette
One of the most important roulette tricks is to understand the math behind your bets. Here’s a quick look at the probabilities and expectations:
| Bet Type | Probability | Payout | Expected Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red/Black | 18/37 | 1:1 | –$0.027 (–2.7%) |
| Single Number | 1/37 | 35:1 | –$0.027 (–2.7%) |
| Dozen/Column | 12/37 | 2:1 | –$0.027 (–2.7%) |
No matter the bet, you lose an average of 2.7% per dollar wagered.
Binomial Distribution: If you play 100 rounds and bet on red each time, your expected wins are ~48.6, with a standard deviation of ~5. That means most of your results will fall between 43–54 wins.
“The math never lies. No matter how clever the system, the edge is always there. But by understanding that edge, you can minimize its impact.”
— Marc Hammes, Almedia Finance
So, Is There a Trick to Winning Roulette?
There’s no magic trick that guarantees a win in roulette. The wheel doesn’t work that way. But there are smarter ways to play – especially if you’re just starting out.
One solid approach is to stick with the table minimum and focus on outside bets, like red or black. These cover nearly half the numbers and pay even money. You won’t get rich doing this, but you’ll stay in the game longer and avoid the bigger risks that come with chasing high payouts. In the end, roulette is a game of odds. You can’t control where the ball lands, but you can control how you play. That’s the real edge – knowing what you’re doing and not betting more than you should.