An easy, yet a fascinating game of chance, roulette has captured the attention of many casino players around the world. Although no particular knowledge and skills are required, the potential profits far exceed those from games such as blackjack. Roulette players often focus on the numbers, believing some are lucky ones, while others should be avoided.
So, which are the best numbers on the roulette table? Are some bets better than others? Is there a way to make sure you win every single time? The answers to these questions may surprise many players. In this article, we will try to explain some of the most important aspects of roulette play and dispel widely spread myths about numbers.
Lucky Roulette Numbers and Other Myths
It is no secret that roulette players tend to favor some numbers over others. There are many superstitions about the numbers in this game and most of them are as old as roulette itself. One of the most interesting facts is that the sum of all numbers on the roulette wheel (from 0 to 36) is exactly 666, known as “the number of the beast”, i.e. the number of the Devil and the number that is often associated with the end times in Christian beliefs.
But the theory of numbers in roulette is not all based on pure superstition. Many players believe they can take advantage of biased wheels and manufacturing defects, identifying the numbers that are more likely to be hit on a particular table.
Lucky Numbers
Hot and Cold Numbers
Biased Wheels
RNG RouletteLucky Numbers
Everyone has a lucky number but when it comes to gamblers, the idea that numbers have some cosmic power over people and events is on a completely new level. The number 17 is probably the most famous number on the roulette table – it is in the center of the betting layout and has become legendary over the years. There are various stories about people winning staggering amounts of money after betting everything on 17.
One of them includes Sean Connery, the iconic James Bond actor, who reportedly won $27,000 with three successful bets on 17. In 1963, Connery was playing at the Casino de la Vallee in Saint-Vincent, Italy. He placed a bet on 17 but lost and decided to repeat it. He lost again but made another bet on 17 and won. Amazingly, the award-winning actor placed the same bet twice more, winning both times and leaving the casino with an impressive payout of $27,000.
Another bizarre case of lucky 17 is from the UK. Mike Ashley, the owner of Newcastle United FC, won close to £1.3 million in one spin of the wheel with a complete bet on 17. A complete bet means a bet on all combinations that include the number 17 and Ashley’s bet was £480,000 in total. In this case, it was a combination of 17 bets (another coincidence?) and it managed to bring him £1, 284,000.
Other popular roulette numbers include 7 and 3, while 8 is believed to bring luck and fortune in Chinese culture. The number 13, on the other hand, seems to be an unlucky one in many parts of the world, with hotels often skipping room 13 and instead, having 12 and 14 after that.
Hot and Cold Numbers
Another extremely popular idea in casinos is to bet on “hot” or “cold” numbers. Hot numbers are simply those numbers that have come out more frequently, while cold ones are those that have not been hit recently. While some players love betting on hot numbers, others look for cold ones and prefer betting on them – they believe cold numbers are “due” to be hit since each number on the roulette wheel is expected to win once in every 37 spins on average.
However, the roulette wheel, like any game of chance, is based on probabilities and probabilities work differently. Although there are 37 possible outcomes of each spin, this does not mean that each outcome will occur in 37 spins. Not at all. In fact, some numbers might not come out, while others may be hit 3, 4 or more times. Players should understand that each number has the same probability of being hit and that each spin is individual rather than influenced by the previous results.
Biased Wheels
Many legendary roulette players from the past are now believed to have used a simple tactic to gain an advantage over the casino, namely exploiting biased wheels. In the past, roulette tables were manufactured very differently and often, they had various defects and imbalances. Nowadays, the production processes have improved significantly and the roulette wheels, tables, and all the mechanics have barely any imperfections.
Still, due to natural wear and tear, wheels can become biased, indeed – and the ball might be more likely to land on certain sections of them. Of course, this is why casinos now regularly replace the wheels and any other equipment that may be prone to wear and damage. It is, therefore, almost impossible to take advantage of such imperfections, even for experienced casino gamblers. When it comes to online roulette, the idea is not applicable, of course.
RNG Roulette
Unlike physical roulette in land-based casinos, virtual roulette games use a Random Number Generator. This is a piece of software, which thanks to complex algorithms, generates random outcomes. RNG is actually widely used in computer programming, in cryptography, simulations, and various technologies. Roulette games based on RNG are completely random and as close to the real-life idea of randomness or entropy as possible.
These games are not only fair but they are also impossible to predict unless one has access to the code of the game and the systems of the casino. As you can imagine, this is not likely, which is why RNG roulette is considered random and unpredictable. As explained above, each number has the same probability of coming out – for single-zero roulette, it is exactly 0.0270 (1/37), which means that in every spin, each of the 37 numbers is expected to win 2.70% of the time.
Are There Good and Bad Numbers on the Roulette Table?
Taking the probabilities into account, we can clearly see that there are no good and bad numbers on the roulette table. As we have already pointed out, the numbers are equally likely to win or lose. But what about the different bets in the game? Along with the opportunity to bet on a single number, players can also bet on two, three and more numbers at the same time. Is this a better strategy in the long term? Yes and no.
Roulette Odds
House Edge
Winning Potential and ProfitabilityRoulette Odds
To determine whether there are good and bad bets in roulette, players should understand the odds in this game. As we have said, the probability or chance of hitting a single number is 1/37 (1/38 in American roulette). Although the odds express basically the same idea – the likelihood of a bet winning, they are used to compare the chance of winning and the chance of losing.
For instance, the odds of hitting a single number are 1 to 36 where we have 1 winning outcome and 36 losing ones. The odds are usually expressed as “odds against”, i.e. the same straight bet has odds against winning of 36 to 1. The odds against winning for an even-money bet such as red or black is 19 to 18 or 19:18 (1.0556:1). The probability for the same bet is 18/37 or 0.4864.
House Edge
When looking at different casino games, we can tell which ones have a better expected value by calculating their house edge. The house edge is used to show the amount players are expected to lose on average relative to their bets. The house edge, also known as house advantage, is present in all casino games and it guarantees that the casino will always make a profit. In roulette, the house edge remains the same for all types of bets. We can easily see this with the formula for expected value:
(Expected loss x ways to lose) + (Expected payout x ways to win)
To see the expected value for a straight bet in a single-zero roulette, we need to calculate (−1 × 36⁄37) + (35 × 1⁄37), which is −0.0270. To transform it into a percentage, we need to multiply the result by 100 and we get a house edge of 2.70%. For an even-money bet, the equation will be (−1 × 19⁄37) + (1 × 18⁄37), which is −0.0270 or house edge of 2.70%. This means that if we bet $100 on the game, we can expect to lose $2.70 on average.
Winning Potential and Profitability
It is important to distinguish the winning potential of roulette bets and their profitability. As noted above, even-money bets have a probability of 0.4864. In other words, red, for example, is expected to win 48.64% of the time so if we keep making this bet, our chances of winning are nearly fifty-fifty. This bet has the greatest winning potential in roulette (along with the rest of the even-money outside bets). In contrast, any single number is expected to win only 2.70% of the time.
But does this mean that even-money bets are the most profitable ones? No. The reason for this is the even payout – red/black, low/high, and even/odd pay 1:1, which means that players receive a payout that is equal to their bet. Straight bets offer the highest payouts at 35 to 1. When we compare payout with the odds against winning (36 to 1), however, we can see that the risk is slightly higher than the potential reward. The house edge of 2.70% clearly demonstrates the same thing – no matter what bet we make in roulette, we will lose 2.70% on average from our total wager.
It is, then, important for players to decide for themselves which tactic they prefer – to rely on small, yet stable and frequent wins or to take greater risks for the chance to win big. Of course, most experts would recommend sticking to low-risk play and bets with a higher probability to win. Placing riskier bets occasionally, however, makes the game much more exciting.
Popular Tactics to Increase One’s Winning Chances
Call/Announce Bets
Betting Patterns
Progressive Betting Systems
Some players prefer betting on certain sections of the wheel rather than the betting layout. This tactic is especially popular in land-based casinos and for those who believe they can exploit a biased wheel. After spotting a hot number or several hot numbers that are located close to each other on the wheel, they assume that there may be a certain imperfection of the wheel or the table. According to this theory, the ball will land on one side of the wheel more frequently.
Betting on adjacent or neighboring numbers is possible with the so-called racetrack layout, which is typically offered in European and French-style roulette games. There, players can make bets on up to 17 numbers located in one section of the wheel. These bets are known as Call or Announce Bets and include Voisins du zéro (17 numbers), Tiers du cylindre (12 numbers), Orphelins (8 numbers), and Jeu zéro (7 numbers). The Neighbors Bets, on the other hand, allow betting on a single number and its neighboring numbers (up to 5 neighbors on either side are usually available).
Before making these bets, players should know that multiple chips need to be wagered for every one of them, which means they could be quite costly. Calculating the odds for them is a more complicated task since they combine several bets into one. That’s why Call Bets should be made with caution, especially by novices or players with small bankrolls.
View more...The method of using betting patterns is not unique for roulette – combining different types of bets to increase your chances of winning can be seen in various games of chance. A good example of a roulette betting pattern is the combination of an even-money bet and an inside bet or several inside bets. The options are endless – for instance, we can bet on black and on the 16-19 and 18-21 splits. This way, we will place 3 chips and cover 22 numbers, which is more than half of the wheel or exactly 59.46%.
In fact, many players tend to combine even-money bets with higher-paying bets such as splits or corners. Some online roulette games allow making Black or Red Splits, i.e. split bets on all adjacent black or red numbers on the main table layout. Once again, it is essential to use a money management plan and never bet more than you can afford to lose in a single spin. This is especially important with these combinations of bets because of their cost.
View more...We have already mentioned the progressive systems in roulette. They are not complete strategies but methods to adjust your bet size based on your expectations for the future spins. For instance, the Martingale, which is a negative progression, requires doubling the bet size after each loss. There are also positive progressions, which increase the bet after a win and decrease it after a lost round.
These systems are used with even-money bets – usually, players keep making the same type of bet for the entire game session. However, basing your strategy on past outcomes makes no sense in roulette since each spin of the wheel is an independent event. It is not linked with the past spins and cannot influence the next spins. For this reason, betting progressions are flawed.
View more...Mistakes to Avoid
A successful roulette strategy combines a good money management plan with the right types of bets. It is crucial for players to also recognize the mistakes they have made and try avoiding them as much as possible. We have already mentioned a few myths and misconceptions about the game of roulette but there are several additional things to consider.
Sticking to the Numbers That Are Due to Win
Relying on Progressive Systems
Believing and Losing/Winning StreaksSticking to the Numbers That Are Due to Win
This is a common mistake made by novices and superstitious gamblers who believe in the idea of hot and cold numbers in roulette. Many of them would notice that the ball has not landed on a particular number in a very long time – they would assume that it is already time for this number to come out. For instance, 15 has not been hit for a while, so we believe that is “due” to win in the next few spins, right?
This is wrong, however – 15 might not come out for another 50 spins of the wheel. Betting on it does not guarantee a winning. In fact, by sticking to the number 15, players would probably only lose a large amount of money, especially if they are betting on 15 straight up. As we have established earlier, these bets have a low probability and are expected to win only 2.70% of the time.
Relying on Progressive Systems
Another huge mistake inexperienced roulette players tend to make is relying on progressive betting systems. Using such systems could be interesting for a while but they have been proven mathematically to result in either losses or small profits that can be generated over a long period of time. There are very aggressive systems such as the Martingale we used as an example above and they can lead to losing significant amounts of money. If players wish to apply a betting progression, they should opt for low-risk systems that increase the size of the bet gradually rather than doubling it after each spin.
Believing and Losing/Winning Streaks
This is probably one of the most popular ways people explain coincidences in gambling. Many believe that they should stop playing when they are on a losing streak. And it is a common belief that you should increase the size of your stake once you start winning. This is very dangerous, however, since it is based on a fundamentally flawed idea – that the future outcomes in the game of roulette are somehow linked with the past results.
Losing and winning streaks do occur, however. What players should know is that streaks are random and can be observed and analyzed only in hindsight. They should not be used as a basis for one’s future bets.
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Find the answers of questions people asked so far:
Is there any point in taking a look at the “hot” and “cold” numbers that some roulette games display?
Not really. If you use some rationality in your decision-making process while playing roulette, you will clearly understand that any fair roulette wheel has no memory of past results. That means that every new spin offers a result, which is free of any bias. While some numbers appear more often during a certain duration of betting, that is only due to luck. Even though some roulette games offer statistics of so-called “hot” and “cold” numbers, these cannot help you determine the result of any of the upcoming spins. These statistics, however, often give a false feeling of predicting the correct result on the next few spins, especially if you believe in superstitions and losing/winning streaks. At the end of the day, you should keep in mind that roulette is a casino game based on luck and you should make your bets with that thought in mind.
Can you suggest a way to cover as many numbers on the roulette wheel as possible?
If you are looking for a way to cover as many numbers on the roulette wheel as possible, you can consider several pattern options. Of course, since straights pay the highest amount, you might want to make multiple straight bets, covering almost the entire wheel. To ensure yourself a small profit, you may want to cover 35 numbers by placing a single-unit stake on each one of them. For example, a $1 bet on 35 numbers will make your total bet $35 and can bring you a gain of $1 if any of the numbers you have picked wins.
If you stick to the same $1 single-unit bet, a similar profit of $1 can be achieved by making 11 street bets, which will allow you to cover 33 numbers with a total bet of $11. Placing 17 splits will also ensure a big coverage of 34 numbers for a total bet of $17. Making five double streets will help you cover 30 numbers with a total stake of $5, and placing a bet on 1-18 and the third dozen will allow you to bet on 30 numbers by placing a $5 bet ($3 on 1-18 and $2 on the third dozen). Even though the potential win on each of these patterns is $1, you can still enjoy plenty of successful betting sessions by covering as many numbers as possible.