Roulette Myths

Written June 4, 2008 by Jack Jones

Roulette is a pretty simple game to learn, and that is why it appeals to so many gamblers. Even a novice can belly up to the table and play as well as an experienced patron, just by watching the others at the table and asking the dealers any questions. Of course when so many mindless gamblers step up, you are going to have myths about how easy it is to win or the game in general. Let’s debunk some of these rumors with the following article.

50/50 Chance of Winning

The most popular myth is that there is a bet that gives players a 50% chance of winning. Well of course you can put enough chips down on the table to give yourself an even chance of winning, but that doesn’t mean it’s either fair or a good idea. If you are at a double-zero table, then there are going to be 38 positions. Cover half of them any way you want and you’ll get a 50/50 probability of winning. If you drop $1 each on 19 spots or $10 on a 12-number column and $1 each on any seven spots not in that column. Five three-number rows and one 4-number corner not overlapping those rows is another choice. The options are endless.

The reason the 50-50 chance of success is no worry to the casino is that the average profit when you win is less than what it costs when you lose. If you bet your $1 on each of 19 spots then a hit would pay you $35. Subtract $18 for the numbers you wagered on that didn’t hit for a $17 net gain. But losing costs you $19 which means you lose $2 on the entire thing. The arithmetic is more complicated for non-uniform bets or wagers on combinations whose elements don’t pay equally. But the conclusions are comparable.

Offsetting Bets to Get Comps

Some people out there think that they can trick the casino out of high-value comps if you partner up and make offsetting bets while playing at the same table. For example, you bet $20 on Red and your partner bets $20 on black. The theory behind this is that you only risk hitting a 0 or 00 but get a combined ratings of $40.

The problem is that over enough spins the house expects to earn the same from your action whether you bet $40 all on one color, or split between the two. So the combined rating is correct. Strategies that try to get casino comps only are never good ideas. The best way to do it is to earn a profit and get the comp as well. That’s when gambling is at it’s most fun.

Numbers Become Due

A third myth is that numbers become due as more spins go by without hitting. The problem is that roulette is a random game. Past spins of the wheel have no effects on future events. The chance of any number in a double zero game is one out of 38 on any spin. This is the case whether your number has been hitting consistently, not won at all, or appears to be next in some logical order. Sticking to the same bets is therefore no better or worse than changing according to the pattern your mind’s eye fabricates when you “connect the dots.”

Predictable biases might be detected by analyzing past trends if wheels were off-kilter or dealers exhibited the “signatures” they’re occasionally reputed to have, but don’t count on either.

Wheels are checked, calibrated, and repaired so frequently and thoroughly that irregularities won’t get to a point where they influence results significantly. As for dealer signatures, ask yourself whether anyone could gauge the ever-fluctuating speed of the wheel, anticipate the path the ball will follow when it leaves the rim and encounters bumpers and frets on the way down then bounces around among grooves, determine when and how fast to release it, then do so precisely. All are needed to deliberately hit even a section of the wheel, let alone a target number.

If at least one of these myths were true, you could watch me sitting at the roulette table racking up the profits with a big old grin on my face, but that just isn’t going to happen.

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