Roulette has been popular since the seventeenth century when it was introduced to casino floors. The game is widely loved for blending the element of luck used for rewards in gambling with the ability to influence the odds in one’s favour. Roulette is one of few games that accommodate the use of strategies in gameplay, which is supported by its ability to accept a wide range of bet types.
In some cases, some of the strategies used to play free American Roulette and other variations walk a thin line cutting between genius and insanity. Such traits make them sound illogical to apply by the ordinary gambler looking to walk away from the table with more than what they hand when approaching it. Even popular strategies that are marketed as proper approaches can be deemed illogical considering the random nature of winning in roulette. To see whether these strategies work, let us break down each one to see if it works or not.
The Martingale Strategy
The Martingale Strategy is undeniably the most popular approach used to play roulette by those seeking gambling entertainment. This gameplay method passes as logical or illogical depending on how it is used, which also determines how effective it is in recovering losses and gaining profits. Ordinarily, the Martingale Strategy is useful when placed on even-money bets such as parity, colour, or high/low numbers. These bets have the highest chance of being landed since they cover almost 50% of the roulette wheel, but they have the lowest payout odds of one to one. When placing bets, double the amount in the case of losses and go back to the original amount after a win. Preferably, start with the minimum limit and climb your way from there. This strategy allows one to recover the money they keep losing with a bonus profit on top.
In theory, the Martingale Strategy sounds like the ideal option if one could continue doubling forever to get back losses and collect a small profit. However, several factors beat this rather perfect system, including:
- The flawless concept of this system is beating by the house edge that ensures in the long run, the house always wins. In roulette games, the villain that facilitates this is the green zero pocket, which drops the chances of winning in even-money bets from 50% to 48.6%. Even though it is small, it does give the casino a higher edge over gamers.
- The steep progression of bet increments makes it extremely easy for gamblers to run out of money quickly. As a low roller, this strategy could deplete your account in a short span.
- The doubling of bets can be risky for high rollers as well considering that nearly all online and offline roulette games have bet limits. At some point, it becomes impossible to double bets beyond the maximum cap, and you will have to count your losses.
The Grand Martingale Strategy
The Grand Martingale Strategy is much like the Martingale Strategy, but with higher risks and more significant rewards. This system demands the doubling of bets after a loss, but with an addition of the original bet to boost. Once a win is collected, the initial stake can be reset, and the procedure starts all over again. This approach offers small winnings in the short term, but with an even steeper progression than the Martingale Strategy, it is precarious to ride on for too long. In the end, the lost amount is sure to outweigh the winnings that have been collected. Therefore, even though it appears to work at first, the math will soon end up against your favour. Most gamblers that have used the system have been known to give fair warnings about the higher chances of losing a lot of money than making it with this system.
The Reverse Martingale Strategy
Of all the betting systems that fall under the Martingale banner, the Reverse Martingale Strategy is the riskiest and perhaps the most illogical. With this approach, players are required to double their stakes when winning chances come by and reset to the original amount after a loss. Even though this system exploits winning streaks to the fullest, they also lead to significant losses when the odds are not favourable. The method only works if you walk away when still winning, but it is impossible to predict with accuracy whether the rounds will result in wins or losses, which leads to some costly calls.
The James Bond Strategy
The fictional spy James Bond is responsible for creating the James Bond Strategy. Considering the risky endeavours taken by agent 007 in his bid to save the world more than once, it is no surprise that his roulette gameplay approach carries similar features. With this strategy, punters are expected to place bets of at last 200 dollars as follows:
- 140 dollars on the high numbers 19 to 36
- 50 dollars on the numbers 13 to 18
- 10 dollars on the zero pocket for insurance
If you are lucky, the first stake will bring in a profit of 80 dollars, the second one 100 dollars, and the zero 160 dollars. However, right of the bat, there is the risky chance of landing the numbers one to twelve, which will lead to a significant loss of 200 dollars in a single round.
The Constant Bet Strategy
This approach is for gamers looking for nothing more than gambling entertainment rather than heading home with winnings thanks to its illogical application. The strategy states that the placed bets have to be the same in each round. The only way this will work in one’s favour is if even-money bets are placed, and the number of wins ends up being higher than losses. The chances of the latter occurring are low since the odds are usually in the casinos’ favour.
The All-In Betting Strategy
The All-In Strategy is the most illogical of them all since it requires the gamer to choose a single bet and place all their bets on it. This approach serves well if you feel like living on the edge and want a significant win. As bonkers as it sounds, this approach has resulted in some of the biggest roulette winners in history such as Chris Boyd and Charles Wells.
Closing Thoughts
Beating the odds to win in roulette have a lower chance of failing than succeeding no matter the applied approach. It is advisable to enjoy the games for entertainment more than collecting winnings, which makes it easier to enjoy the games.