Online roulette has exploded in popularity over the last few years. With Rocket Play and many other quality casinos available at the click of a button, more people than ever are spinning that iconic wheel in hopes of hitting it big. But can you actually win at online roulette over the long run?
The answer is yes, you absolutely can. While the house maintains an edge in the game, there are still proven tips and strategies you can employ to boost your payouts and enjoy more winning sessions. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to master online roulette.
Understand the Different Roulette Variants
Before you start placing chips on the virtual felt, it’s important to understand the different roulette variants you might encounter at online casinos. The two main versions are European and American roulette. They share many similarities but have a key difference:
- European Roulette Wheels: 37 numbered slots from 1-36 plus a single 0
- American Roulette Wheels: 38 numbered slots from 1-36 plus 0 and 00
That extra 00 slot on American wheels gives the house a higher advantage. The house edge rises from 2.70% in European roulette to 5.26% on American wheels. So if given the choice, European roulette is always the better option with slightly better odds for the player.
Outside vs Inside Bets
All roulette wagers fall into two categories – outside and inside bets. Understanding the difference is key:
Outside Bets
Bets made on the outside part of the table covering larger groups of numbers. These include betting on colors (red or black), dozens (1-12, 13-24, 25-36), columns (12 numbers in each column) or high/low (1-18 or 19-36). Outside bets have close to a 50/50 chance and pay even money or 2 to 1.
Inside Bets
Bets made on the numbered grid itself allow players to bet on specific numbers. These include straight bets on one number, splits between two numbers, street bets on three numbers, corner bets on four numbers, and six line bets covering two street bets. Inside bets have bigger payouts up to 35 to 1 but lower odds of hitting.
Managing Your Bankroll
Proper bankroll management is essential in roulette, maybe more than any other casino game. The potential to win – or lose – a lot on any given spin means your bankroll can quickly spiral out of control if you don’t establish limits. Here are some tips:
- Set a bankroll – Only allot a certain amount of money for each roulette session and stick to it. Most experts recommend around 50-100 betting units. Bet small percentages – Wager just 1-5% of your total bankroll per spin. This allows you to endure natural losing streaks.
- Secure wins – Once you’re up a decent amount like 30-50% of your original bankroll, pocket some of those winnings. This makes you less vulnerable to turning a winning session into a losing one. Take breaks – If you lose a predetermined amount like 50% of your starting bankroll, walk away and try again another time.
Use a Roulette Strategy
While roulette revolves around randomness and luck, that doesn’t mean you can’t implement some simple betting strategies to improve your chances:
The Martingale System
This tried-and-true system involves doubling your bet after each loss which allows you to recoup previous losses once you finally hit a win. Just don’t get too aggressive as losses can quickly compound.
The Fibonacci System
After a lost bet, wager the sum of your last two bets instead of doubling. So if you bet $5 and lose, next bet $5 again. If you lose that, bet $10 (5+5), then $15 (10+5), etc. Less risky than Martingale.
The D’Alembert System
Simply increment your bets by one unit after a loss (i.e. $5, $6, $7) and decrement after a win. Super easy system that helps protect your bankroll.
While none of these systems change the underlying house edge, they do help you manage your bankroll in a more structured manner.
Secure Casino Bonuses
Nearly every online casino offers generous deposit bonuses to attract new players and thank loyal customers. Make sure to shop lines and claim the biggest bonus possible.
These bonuses provide extra value and give your bankroll an immediate boost. The key is increasing your playtime which directly translates to more opportunities to get lucky at the roulette table.
Play Free Roulette First
Before risking your own money at online roulette tables, take some time to play free roulette at various sites first. The top online casinos all offer demo modes that accurately replicate the real money experience.
Use the practice time to test out different variants and betting strategies. See which casinos offer the best game providers and software. Get a general feel for the pace of play and how to place certain bets.
Once you have roulette down pat, playing for free gets boring. But some practice runs reduce the learning curve when you transition over to real money action.
Watch for Biased Wheels
While increasingly rare these days, biased roulette wheels do still exist both online and in land-based casinos. This refers to wheels that have some type of defect causing certain numbers to hit more frequently.
The best roulette strategy is identifying and exploiting these biased wheels. But it takes lots of observation, tracking of results, and analysis to determine if a bias exists. Various tracking apps and roulette computers can help identify any significant deviations from expected probabilities.
If you discover a statistically significant bias, hammer those numbers until the casino fixes the defective wheel.
Conclusion
Mastering online roulette requires an understanding of game variants, smart bankroll management, using betting strategies, and identifying biased wheels when possible. Follow these tips outlined above and you’ll put yourself in prime position to have more winning than losing sessions. Don’t expect to get rich playing roulette, but some big scores are definitely achievable with the right approach.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
