Roulette is arguably one of the most definitive and iconic games one can play at any kind of a casino today. As you might have deduced from the spelling, roulette is of French origin, having been invented by the prolific French scientist Blaise Pascal over three hundred years ago. The invention of this game is actually the result of an accident on his part. Pascal spent years attempting to create a perpetual motion device and failed. But Pascal was as crafty as he was intelligent, and suspected that his failed device could have another application. After a few tweaks and a paint job, the roulette wheel was born. A whole bunch of casinos around Monte Carlo adopted the device, and history was made.
Since then, roulette has established itself as staple casino fare, serving as (quite literally) the centerpiece of table games all around the world. The Internet has only served to introduce this already popular game to the masses worldwide. You don’t need to get dressed and drive to a casino to play a game of online roulette – you can have a spin right in your own home.
Now don’t get me wrong – some people play online roulette (preferably free roulette) for fun. There is an intrinsic element of visual stimulation involved in the spinning of a colorful online roulette wheel. But as is the case with quite a few table games, online roulette isn’t purely a chance-based game, even if luck factors in a bit more than it does for card-based games. This is especially true with online roulette – while you have a limited control over what happens, there are still certain things you should or shouldn’t do that will help tilt the odds in your favor. I can’t show you how to win at roulette, but I can arm you with some useful roulette strategy tips that will make your games of online roulette more lucrative for you.
Things to do
Switch it up – When people say roulette, you generally think of the black-and-red wheel that is standard across the world. This isn’t quite the case, as there are many different types of online roulette you can play. Online roulette is particularly good about offering a lot of different roulette varieties. One particular popular variant is European roulette – the wheel only has one zero and a house edge of 2.63%. American roulette is less advantageous, possessing two zeroes and a house edge of 5.26%. Most games of online roulette utilise the European variant. In addition to the aforementioned varieties, French roulette, mini roulette, and roulette royale are also offered at a lot of casinos in both paid and free online roulette form.
Know your limits and stick to them – This should seem intuitive, but a lot of gamblers either don’t know or don’t want to adhere to what they can afford financially. If you are short on funds, free roulette game options are offered at many online casinos to members who sign up and/or spend money regularly. Even if free roulette games aren’t an option for you, always keep complete track of everything you have spent. Not knowing where you stand financially is a very dangerous thing, and a lot of people ruin themselves because they spent much more money than they could afford to lose. Knowing what you have to spend will allow you to know what you are able to spend without endangering your overall financial health.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help – Online roulette isn’t just something you can jump in to. Experienced roulette players are sources of knowledge and guidance for new players, and you’ll find that they are often happy to share their knowledge with you if you simply ask. Furthermore, many of them have their own roulette strategies honed from years of play, and what they can teach you can prove invaluable if you are trying to figure out how to win at roulette. Use the “live chat” button that many online casinos offer – the casino staff and/or players will usually be happy to help.
Things to avoid
Don’t avoid a change in your game selection – There are so many varieties of online roulette out there, and not all of them offer the same opportunities to win. Each kind of roulette has its own method of betting, and just because you choose to alternate colours or stick to odd numbers for one game type does not mean that they will work in another type of online roulette. Research conducted into the subject shows that an effective roulette strategy is to change what you play regularly – players who boast a higher win rate were shown to consistently change their approach to betting. This is what professionals do, and it’s how they discover new methods to getting a fat return on their investment. If you feel uncomfortable putting money into a new strategy, use up some of your free roulette games to try things out.
Don’t lose your temper – Seriously, I’m not just saying that out of concern for your blood pressure – gamers refer to this as “playing on tilt”. When you are agitated or angry, you make an increasing number of rash, poorly-thought out decisions. This results in a series of progressively worsening outcomes, thus making you even angrier and trapping you in a vicious negative feedback loop. Losing your temper means you lose your sense of self-control. It’s just online roulette; so if you feel yourself getting angry, simply take a break from playing.
Don’t rush a bet – Conversely, if you are doing well you might find yourself slipping into a complacent state of mind. Or worse, you might see yourself making snap judgments that wind up burning you in the end. Never put your own money on the line if you aren’t prepared to think out each decision carefully. Stay in control at all times – online roulette does not, and should not control you. If you feel yourself falling into this state of mind, you will only do yourself good by taking a break.
Don’t fall for the many online roulette scams out there – Part of the allure of online gambling is that it offers the slim chance that you could win tons of money in an instant. If you play online roulette even semi-regularly, you have no doubt come across a website or person claiming to have the best roulette strategy out there, promising easy riches overnight. In cases like this, a bit of discretion will serve you well. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Plus, if they are charging you money for a “system”, which almost guarantees that it’s a scam. No system is foolproof, and no system is a guarantee.
When you play online roulette, just remember that luck is still the deciding factor. You can’t control the placement of the ball, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t take steps to nudge the odds ever so slightly in your favor. If you follow the aforementioned tips, you’ll do so much to set yourself up for success in the future.