Best Roulette Strategies & Systems

Last updated: 05.04.2024 by Chris Mwangi

There is a widespread belief that roulette is just a game of chance, and therefore it is not possible to gain an advantage with a strategy. This is simply wrong: although roulette requires you to be lucky like any other casino game, almost all roulette strategies really work if used correctly.

At Roulette77, we are ready to help you with all these: We have prepared this guide to explain the best roulette strategies with their pros and cons. We explain each strategy with examples and let you understand how it can help you: After reading this guide, you can start playing roulette like a professional gambler. Let's start!

Page contents

Strategy Rating Progressive Strategies Non-progressive Winning tips

A Rating of Roulette Systems

First, let's start by sharing a tier list of the roulette systems and strategies. It would be more accurate to evaluate the ranking in this list as "effective" and "less effective" rather than good or bad. While preparing the list, we considered many factors such as ease of application, bankroll requirements, whether your chances of winning have actually changed. Below, we will explain all these strategies one by one.

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Progressive Strategies

All roulette strategies can be basically divided into two categories, progressive and non-progressive. Progressive strategies focus on how you should manage your bankroll rather than statistically increasing your chances of winning. These strategies ask you to increase or decrease the amount of your bet according to a certain system. The main idea here is that you will eventually win. The goal is that the payout amount when you win should be high enough to both cover your losses and make a profit.

Martingale System

Martingale is the best known of all progressive strategies. This is because it is a very easy strategy to use. It is based on an investment technique invented in France in the 18th century by the French mathematician Paul Pierre Levy. This system simply requires that the stake is doubled after each loss and using the bet options with the highest chance of winning. Let's explain with an example:

Let's say you start playing with 1 unit. You should choose bets that offer a chance of winning over 48% (red/black, odd/even, low/high).
If you place one of these bets and win, you bet 1 unit again on the same options in the next game.
If you place one of these bets and lose, you bet 2 units on the same options in the next game.
If you lose that one too, the next game, your bet should be 4 units, and this should continue until you win (8, 16, 32, 64, etc.).

Three things are necessary for this strategy to work:

A roulette table with a low minimum limit and a high maximum limit
Wagering money only on bets that offer a chance of winning over 48%
Not having a limited bankroll

Pros

It is very simple and can be used by anyone;
It is the most practical system to use at online casinos;
As long as you don't reach the maximum table limit, you are guaranteed to make a profit;

Cons

Requires a large bankroll;
It becomes useless at the moment you reach the maximum table limit;
It can cause you to go bankrupt until a win happens;

Martingale is a foolproof system because when you win a game, the amount will be large enough to cover all your losses and make a small profit. But the main risk of this strategy is the possibility of going bankrupt until the win happens.

Reverse Martingale System

As the name suggests, this system reverses the rule of doubling after every loss, which is the basis of the Martingale strategy. In Reverse Martingale, you double the bet after each win, while the stake remains unchanged on losses. For example:

You start playing with 1 unit and lose. In the next game, the stake must still be 1 unit. (If the Martingale strategy had been used, it should have been 2 units.)
You won while playing with 1 unit. In the next game, the stake should be 2 units, and this should continue as long as you win (4, 8, 16, 32, etc.).

Mathematically, it is not much different from the classic Martingale, but it can cause the total bet amount to increase more aggressively. You can also choose to use some Reverse Martingale variants (e.g., 3-Step Martingale) where you return to the starting bet value after every three wins.

D’Alembert Strategy

This strategy is built on the theories of Jean-Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert. This system also focuses on how the stake should be increased, but it also requires it to be reduced under certain conditions.

To use this strategy, you must first set a "base unit" for your stake. You also need to set yourself a goal for the total profit you want to make. You start playing with the base unit and increase your bet by one unit after each loss. After each win, you must reduce the bet amount by one unit. You should keep doing this until you reach your goal. Let's explain with an example.

Let's say you set the base unit to 5
If you win, you must bet 4 units on the next game (5 – 1)
If you lose that game, you must bet 5 units on the next game (4 + 1)
You have to determine the amount of bet in each game according to the win/loss situation and continue doing this until you reach your goal.

Pros

Possible to use even with low bankrolls;
The total stake increases in a more controlled way compared to Martingale;
It is quite easy to use;

Cons

Takes longer to get a positive return (especially when compared to Martingale);
Other progressive betting strategies offer bigger wins;

Labouchere Method

This system is also known as the “split Martingale” and was invented in the 19th century by Henry du Pre Labouchere, a journalist. It is a negative progression system and may seem a bit complicated at first glance. The player must determine how much he wants to win, create an appropriate number sequence, and decide the bet amounts according to this sequence. Let's explain with an example:

Determine the total amount you want to win (e.g., 100 INR)
Create a number sequence whose sum corresponds to this amount (for example, 10 – 20 – 10 – 40 – 10 – 10)
Determine the initial bet amount by adding the first and last digits of the sequence (10 + 10 = 20)
If you win, delete the first and last digits of the sequence (the new sequence you will use will be 20 - 10 - 40 - 10)
If you lose, add your lost bet amount to the end of the sequence (10 – 20 – 10 – 40 – 10 – 10 – 20)
As long as you lose, you must continue to add the lost amount to the end of the sequence.
If you win again, continue by deleting the first and last digits once more. Your goal is to delete all the digits in the sequence (by doing this, you will reach the target win amount).

Pros

Does not cause the total bet amount to increase aggressively even if you lose;
Works even in a game where wins and losses occur regularly;
Allows you to use all kinds of bets (not limited to the bets that pay 1:1);

Cons

Takes longer to recover if you lose repeatedly;
The learning curve can be longer than other strategies;

You may need to take notes with pen and paper, but the Labouchere method is actually not complicated and allows you to make a profit in the long run. The total stake does not increase as quickly as in Martingale, and if you hit a winning streak, it is possible to reach your target amount fairly quickly.

Fibonacci System

Fibonacci numbers are a mathematical sequence believed to form the Golden Ratio and to be found in every being in nature. They were introduced in a book published in 1202 by the Italian mathematician Leonardo of Pisa (Fibonacci). Each digit in this sequence is the sum of the previous two digits, namely 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, and so on. The Fibonacci roulette system is also based on the same sequence.

Let's say you start playing with 1 unit. Keep playing with 1 unit in the first two games, as we need at least two numbers to start the Fibonacci sequence.
If you lose the second game, start the third game with the sum of the first two numbers in the sequence (1 + 1 = 2).
If you win in the third game, go back to the previous digit in the sequence for the fourth game (1, in this example).
If you lose in the third game, add the previous two numbers in the sequence for the fourth game (i.e., 2 + 1 = 3) and so on.

Pros

Simple and easy to understand;
It works in short games and provides a certain profit;

Cons

In long-running games, it can cause the bet amount to increase too much;
There is no mathematical proof that the Fibonacci sequence will work in casino games;

There is no guarantee that the Fibonacci sequence will work in gambling games, but it would not be wrong to think that this sequence, which can be seen in many things in nature, can also work in roulette. In any case, it is a strategy that does not cause the stakes to increase very quickly in short games and may be preferred by low-budget players.

Non-Progressive Strategies in Roulette

Non-progressive roulette strategies focus on statistically increasing your chances of winning rather than managing your bankroll and specifying stakes. Their basic purpose is simple: There are 37 (or 38) numbers on the roulette wheel, and all possible outcomes are mathematically determined. If you bet on as many of these outcomes as possible, your chances of winning will also increase statistically. Therefore, these strategies do not focus on the amount of bets but on what bets you should place.

James Bond Strategy

Mr. Bond's preferred game is actually baccarat, but in Casino Royale (not the movie, but the book by Ian Fleming) he played roulette and used a strategy that allowed him to beat the casino. This system is based on that strategy and aims to cover as much of the wheel as possible. You just need to place three bets.

Place a bet of 14 INR for high numbers (19-36).
Place a bet of 5 INR on a six-line (13-18).
Place 1 INR bet for 0.

You bet 20 INR in total and managed to cover most of the possible outcomes. This game can end like this:

If the result is any of the numbers between 1-12, you will lose 20 INR.
If the result is six-line numbers, you will get paid INR 25 (total profit of 5 INR)
If the result is high numbers, you will get paid INR 28 (total profit of 8 INR)
If 0 comes up, you will get paid INR 35 (total profit of 15 INR)

Statistically, it is possible to say that you have increased your chances, but you will not get a real edge against the casino in the long run, and you will not be able to make a serious profit unless the result is 0. Still, it's a good alternative to progressive roulette strategies and is pretty fun.

Biased Wheels Strategy

This strategy is not about stakes or bet types. Biased Wheels is based on the idea of detecting physical wear/imperfections on roulette wheels. Over time, some wear occurs on the constantly rotating wheel, and this can change the pocket where the ball will land. By noticing these imperfections, a professional gambler can make a more accurate prediction about the outcome. However, it is a difficult tactic to implement, it only works in land-based casinos and cannot be said to give a real edge in the long run.

Other Tips & Tricks to Win in Roulette

If you want to win at roulette, you don't always have to use a strategy or system. There are other ways to increase your chances of winning or optimize the payouts, and some of them are surprisingly simple. Below, we list the most important of these tips.

Stay away from American rouletteThere are three basic variants of roulette: European, French, and American, and their house edge values differ from each other. French roulette has the lowest value (1.35%). European roulette comes in second place (2.70%). American roulette offers the worst value (5.26%). Simply prefer roulette games with only one 0 on the wheel.
Preferring even money bets can also be a strategyThese are bets that pay 1:1, and there are three of them: red/black, odd/even, low/high. In European roulette, your chances of winning these bets range from 48% to 49%. So just placing even money bets can be a simple yet effective strategy in itself.
Feel free to switch between different strategiesIf one strategy isn't working for you, don't be afraid to switch to another. Consider your bankroll when deciding which one to use.
Know when to stopDon't be emotional when making decisions, and know when to stop playing. If you've been losing for a long time, it's not a sign that your luck will turn. However, it may be a sign that you need to take a break from playing.

Conclusion

If you choose the right strategy for yourself, roulette will turn into a much more fun and profitable game. Every strategy works, but you need to choose the one that suits you best based on your experience level, table limits, and bankroll amount. We're sure that at least one of the systems and strategies we've listed in this guide will suit you: don't forget to use one of them the next time you play roulette!