Roulette – Betting Ideas

Outside vs. Inside bets

A straight bet obviously has more risk and offers more reward per spin than an even money bet, but believe it or not, in the long run both bets actually cost exactly the same. This is what makes up the paradox of roulette.

As hard as it is to believe, people that distribute chips around the table actually lose at the same rate as those who bet single numbers or groups. Betting multiple chips on one combination is identical to splitting the bet on individual numbers. For example, $10 on the line between seventeen and twenty will return the same amount as $5 straight up on seventeen and $5 straight up on twenty. This is also true for multiple combinations. A six-number bet for $10 returns the same as two $5 street bets. Betting $10 on a dozen returns the same as two sixes for $5 each.

There is nothing wrong with spreading bets around, although there is nothing right about it either. In the long run it doesn’t make any difference. This is true for combinations, multiple straight bets, and for every other roulette wager. For example, $10 on a single number may seem riskier and costlier than $10 on even money, but in the long run they have the same cost.

Of course, no result is ever exactly average. That’s the draw and the heartbreak of roulette. Normal streaks of winning and losing convince some people to think that particular bets or combinations of bets will win more than others. Some bets do win more frequently, but on average, none of the bets win more than any other bet.

Betting Zones

A popular betting strategy is to cover adjoining sections of the wheel. If the ball falls anywhere in the covered sections then you are assured a win. One example of this would be betting 1-6, 13-24, and 31-36. Statistically the results would be identical to betting on two groups of twelve. However it can be psychologically pleasing to know that a one slot difference will rarely make you a loser, or a winner for that matter.