Roulette's Betting Systems

In Roulette, there are various playing methods to help a player win. However, there are actually no such concrete methods, as to attest certain guarantees for a sure win.

We do not mean that certain other practical methods could not be devised for beating the game.

The most popular system, used not only at a Roulette table, but also in many other games, is the so-called double-up system.

Assume that Carl decides to play Roulette, to bet on red and to use the double-up system. He starts betting a unit, say, a dollar, on red. If he wins, it will be one dollar.

If he loses, he will place a two-dollar bet on red. If he loses this bet also, he will place a four-dollar bet if he wins now, he will receive eight dollars.

Before placing the eight-dollar bet, Carl lost seven dollars. But, with his eight-dollar bet, he won eight dollars (a bet on color is paid even money). This, of course, compensates the seven dollars' loss and gives Carl a one-dollar overall profit.

We notice, however, that Carl risked $15 (= 1+2+4+8) in all, to win a dollar, and that he could have lost the eight-dollar bet as well.

Some gamblers will say, even if Carl loses this eight-dollar bet, can't he double up again, that is, bet $16 on Red? If he wins now, he will have lost 1+2+3+4+8 = 15 dollars, and won $16, for a net profit of one dollar.

And even if Carl loses the 416 bet, can't he double up again and again? He must win sometime. Apparently, there is something wrong with this method.

Well, there is plenty wrong with it. One of the reasons this method does not work is that if Carl loses nine times in a row and doubles the bet after each loss, then his tenth bet would be $512 and such a bet is not allowed at a $500 Maximum table.

The optimistic gamblers will again say, but you cannot lose nine times in a row. The fact is that you can very well lose, not only nine times, but many more times in a row.

In fact, we can show that in the long run, the player cannot avoid losing, no matter how the double-up system is used.

Another widespread system is based on the belief that if, for instance, if produced, let us say, ten times in a row--- then the chance that the eleventh time, the outcome will be either B or C (and not A), is greatly increased.

The gambler 'possessed' by this belief will, of course, expect that if at a Roulette table the ball dropped on red fifteen times in a row, then on the next spin the ball will, or at least should, drop on black.

Now, independently of how many times the ball dropped on red, the probability that the outcome of the next spin will be black is the same as always, namely nine-nineteenth.

The same gambler will expect that if at a craps table, the Pass line bettors lost, say eight time sin a row, the chance that the ninth time, the Pass line bettors will win, is greatly increased.

Again, independently of how many times the Pass line bettors lost, the House take as far as the next Pass line bets are concerned, is the same as always, namely about one point four percent.