If a game is characterized as one of chance, does that mean there isn’t any skill you can learn or apply when playing? Does one exclude the other? Stick around to find out!
A Lot of Luck, First
When playing Roulette, there is no surefire way to predict the outcome. Just like any other casino game, this one is unpredictable, which is the basis of its appeal. If it were that easy to shift the odds of winning in your favor, it would be impossible to play it, in the first place. Or, the players would simply grow tired over time, since the game would be over before it even began.
No matter if you are playing Roulette online or in a classic casino, your luck is your best companion. Sure, many players will still attempt to apply some strategies or tips in order to increase their chances of winning.
So, when you review all the gains and losses, the safest thing to do is to rely on your luck. It’s better to post a bet on a number that is important to you, a birthday or an anniversary date than to attempt something risky and call it “skill”.
However, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t any skills involved when playing Roulette, just not as you would expect. Namely, the skills you can apply here are regarding matters such as money management, which is more important than you could imagine. Many professional gamblers advise that you should decide on the amount of money you are willing to bet beforehand and stick to it no matter what. Also, you should leave your credit cards at home, so you don’t get tempted to run to the ATM all night and drain your entire account.
There are some other skills you can easily learn and apply when playing Roulette, not only in terms of whether you win or lose but also to keep a clear head and the right state of mind.
Roulette Games And Betting Systems
In order to acquire any sort of skill at this game, you should know the basics first. So, when approaching any of the Roulette tables—no matter the version of the game—you should understand the layout. You will have numbers from 1 to 36 displayed in two colors — red and black. There will also be a 0 in a green field when playing the European wheel (as well as the French one), and an additional 00 when playing the American Roulette. These represent the house edge, and the European Roulette has a smaller one since it only has the one 0.
When it comes to the French version, there is a certain skill you can apply. Once again, remember, it is not a skill per se, but rather a tip that may or may not work. But it doesn’t hurt to try.
En Prison & La Partage
So, “En Prison” is a rule constructed in the French Roulette, which allows you to recover your losses after the wheel spins and the ball lands on a zero. Why would a casino even allow me that, you may ask?
Well, the En Prison (which literally means “in prison” in French) will allow you to “imprison” your bet and transfer it to the next round in case there was a spin of zero. While “La Partage”, on the other hand, is another player-friendly option that will allow you to get back half of your bet size after the wheel shows a zero.
Biased Wheel
This is a good one. The acclaimed British engineer Charles Jagger is notorious because of his discovery of a biased wheel. Namely, during one of his many rounds at the casino, he noticed that a wheel has a bias. He then proceeded to play on certain numbers many times in a row as he knew where the ball would land each time, making something around $500.000 before being ultimately discovered.
Still, though this story may sound surreal, there are still some players out there making cash from biased wheels. Many experts studied biased wheels and concluded that they can increase player odds by up to 15%. Again, not exactly a skill, but still a pretty neat trick.
Roulette Computers
Though short-lived, the so-called “Roulette computers” made quite a stir in the casino gambling market. Basically, those were chips that were used to make the ball land on a certain number on the wheel. However, RNG technology today makes sure that there is no way you can predict the outcome of casino games, especially Roulette.
Dealer’s Demeanor
This one is pretty far-fetched, but that doesn’t mean it can’t work. Namely, the most experienced players can notice the behavior and the habits of a croupier who throws the ball around to determine where the ball lands.
Keep in mind that this is quite hard to achieve. But if you look closely, you will at times notice a habit in the dealer’s hand position or the strength of their throw. Still, you have a far better chance of predicting where the ball might land, but not as accurately.
Gambler’s Fallacy
To conclude, whether you are playing Roulette at an online casino or a classic one, always remember one thing — you can never predict the future. Especially not if you are basing it on past results. That is simply not how this game works.
Of course, you can always try the various Roulette strategies—easily learned online—but keep in mind that they don’t guarantee you a certain win. They are just theories which may only work once in a thousand spins of a wheel. So, when you put it like that, relying on your luck is just as good, sometimes even better than attempting crazy skills and methods.