Roulette is a sophisticated game of "Where will this
tiny ball decide to land and completely ruin my carefully laid financial
plans?" Step one: Don’t do that.
Little Old Me
I’ve been writing this blog for over 10 years, covering
various topics (aviation, industry, government, space, stocks). It’s time to
try something a little different, I’m taking a gamble, and it’s just for fun.
I’ve been covering the gambling “industry” for quite a while.
But I’d say this is the first time I’m stepping into the “how to” arena and
talking from my personal experience.
So truly, you really should look at the world of gambling as
just fun. It’s not a way to make money or get rich. Years ago, a dealer at
Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races said, “Not one game in this casino is
designed for you to win.” Which is true. But you can get lucky, right?
So, it’s time for a night on the town and a visit to your
local casino. How much money should you bring to a casino? That’s usually the first
question a person asks if they have never been to a casino before or gambled.
The simple answer, bring money that you are willing to lose with no negative
impact on you. We all know people can get carried away.
We all spend money, and we all spend it in different places.
But I challenge you to visit a local sporting event, music concert, grocery
store, or winery, and walk away with an extra $100 in your pocket after a complimentary
dinner.
Gambling is for fun and entertainment, not a way to make
money or get rich. About Roulette, it's a mesmerizing ballet of chance,
performed by a spinning wheel and a tiny defiant sphere. You, the hopeful
participant, are left to wager bets on which pocket, or number, this rebellious
little marble will choose as its temporary landing pad. Just pick a number or a
group of numbers. Where is this ball going to land? There are so many options,
it's like trying to choose what to have for dinner in a supermarket the size of
Texas.
You can bet on a color, red, black, or green. Even or odd numbers.
Or a specific number that, for some reason, you feel is lucky.
Or you could just go completely rogue and play the corners – because, why not? How
about playing it safe?
What if I told you a player can cover 32 out of 37 numbers
on the wheel with only eight chips? That’s covering over 80% of the wheel. Ok, too
early for that. I was never good at math either. More on that later.
The best part about roulette? The suspense, of course. That
moment when the ball slows down, bounces around like it's playing hopscotch,
and you hold your breath, convinced you’ve finally cracked the code, only to
have it land on the one number you didn’t bet on. Ah, the
sweet taste of defeat. It's a humbling experience. But let's not get all
negative. People do win playing Roulette.
How To Play
So how do you play Roulette? Before you start playing let's
go over bankroll management. Your bankroll is the money you have with you to
gamble. Again, just make sure it's money you are willing to lose.
So, let's say you have $500 with you. Each Roulette table
will have limits on how much you can bet, known as a minimum and maximum.
Minimum bets can start anywhere from $1 to $25, and maximums can reach $100 to
$300.
You will exchange your money for chips at the table. Always
put the money down on the table. Do not hand it directly to the dealer. Your
transaction is with the casino, not the dealer. They can’t take it from your
hand. Make sense?
Time to play. Pick a number, any number, pick two, pick
three, or a group of numbers. When the little defiant sphere, also known as the
Roulette ball, drops into one of your numbers on the wheel, you win. You are
picking numbers in hopes the ball lands on the one you picked.
The Dreaded Betting System
There are a million ways to play Roulette. Don't even get me
started on the betting "systems." The Martingale, the Fibonacci, or the
guy that says, "Trust me, I've seen this work before.” All gamblers have a
betting system. Name one that doesn’t.
Do I use a betting system? Sure, I do. And you will too. Most
so-called “professional gamblers” say betting systems don’t work. They will
claim they don’t use betting systems. Sorry, everyone has a system. They just
don’t agree with your system, but we all use them. Think about it.
Betting systems all sound so promising on paper. In
practice, they tend to drain your wallet faster than a toddler with a juice
box. But hey, who am I to judge? Chasing a win is part of the fun, isn’t it?
It’s like a beautiful (and sometimes expensive) train wreck in slow motion. But
yes, you can be a winner at Roulette.
Single Zero, Double Zero, Triple Zero
As mentioned earlier, not one casino game is designed for
you to win, and not all roulette tables are created equal. You can still win,
and people do, occasionally, but the casino always has the advantage, properly
referred to as the “house edge.”
There are three variations of the Roulette table in casinos.
Once you do find a table, check and see if the wheel has a single green zero, a
double green zero, or a triple green zero. Each table has a different house
edge. The best one to play is a single zero table; it has the lowest house
edge. They are becoming increasingly difficult to find these days.
Single Zero Roulette – House Edge 2.7%
Double Zero Roulette – House Edge 5.3%
Triple Zero Roulette – House Edge 7.69%
Five Street Bet
Let's talk about a few wagers you can try with the best
chance of winning. I’m just going to call this first one Five Street Bet. With
this bet, you are covering 30 numbers on a single zero wheel with five chips
(See image below).
One chip covers 4 through 9, one covers 10 through 15, one covers 16 through 21, one covers 22 through 27, and the last covers 28 through 31.
Betting a total of $5.00 will win 6.00 ($1.00 profit). Of course,
bet more you win more. You can also play this bet on double zero and triple
zero tables unless it’s an Electronic Table Game (ETG) or online. Some ETGs and
online casinos won’t even allow this bet.
The 8 Chip Bet
We’ll call this The 8 Chip Bet. This is the wager I mentioned
earlier. The 8 Chip Bet will cover 32 numbers on a single zero wheel with eight
chips. Three chips in the 13-24 second dozen, three chips in the 25-36 third
dozen, and one chip on the 7, 8, 10, 11 corner, and one on the 2, 3, 5, and 6
corner (see image below).
Betting a total of $8.00 will win $9.00 ($1.00 profit). Again, bet more win more. Once again, some ETGs and online casinos won’t even allow this bet.
These are just some easy bets to have fun with while playing
Roulette. Experiment with different bets yourself.
Roulette Spy
So, the next time you find yourself near a Roulette table,
go ahead and look (single zero wheel? double zero?), then take a spin.
Always remember the odds are stacked against you. There is still
that chance for a win, big or small. Just enjoy the dizzying spectacle of
chance, the nail-biting anticipation, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll walk away
with a great story to tell.
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