By adjusting your strategy, you can better manage risk and potentially your outcomes
When playing roulette, adapting your strategy to suit different variants is essential for maximizing your chances of success. While the core mechanics of the game remain the same across all versions—players place bets on where they think a ball will land on a spinning wheel—subtle differences in the rules and wheel structure can significantly affect your approach. Every player must know how they can tweak their strategy depending on the variant they’re playing.
European roulette is one of the most common variants and features a wheel with 37 pockets (1-36 and a single zero). The house edge is lower here, standing at 2.7% due to the single zero.
In European roulette, you can employ more aggressive betting strategies like the Martingale system because the odds are more favorable than in American roulette. Stick to outside bets (like red/black or odd/even) if you’re looking to minimize risk, as these bets have nearly a 50% chance of winning. The “En Prison” rule, available in some European roulette games, offers an additional advantage by giving you another chance if your bet lands on zero.
American roulette introduces an extra pocket: the double zero. This brings the total number of pockets to 38, increasing the house edge to 5.26%. Because of this, players need to be more cautious.
Progressive betting strategies like Martingale become riskier due to the higher house advantage. It’s often better to stick with flat betting, where you wager the same amount on every spin. This helps you manage losses more effectively. Avoid betting on single numbers too often, as the odds of hitting them are even lower in American roulette than in its European counterpart.
French roulette is similar to European roulette but offers an additional rule called “La Partage.” This rule states that if the ball lands on zero, you only lose half of your even-money bets. The reduced loss potential makes French roulette an excellent variant for players who prefer low-risk strategies. Stick to even-money bets like red/black or odd/even to take full advantage of the La Partage rule.
