Roulette Strategy for Beginners

Roulette is among the most popular online games in the UK, but some players might be unwilling to try it because they don’t know much about it. This is why we created a beginner’s guide to roulette strategy for you that you can use at the best online casinos in the UK.

Tips for Roulette Beginners

Some people might think that roulette gameplay is pretty straightforward – you pick a number, put your money on it, and let fate do the rest. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Although roulette is a game of chance, much more so than blackjack and poker, it takes skill to win consistently, hence why we prepared this guide for you.

We tested various strategies on both RNG and live roulette games to come up with a guide that is not only comprehensive, but also genuinely helpful to beginners. We’ll start off by giving you some tips before we delve in deeper into roulette strategies:

• Study Roulette Types – You should first do basic research on roulette before you start playing. Learn the rules of different roulette types such as European and American roulette.
• Learn the Bets and Odds – Beginners might think that roulette betting is as simple as picking a number or a few and waiting for the outcome, which is not true. There are many types of roulette bets (e.g., parlay, line, corner) and they all come with different odds (e.g., 1:1, 1:37).
• Practice for Free – Many RNG roulette games have free demo versions that you can access online and we encourage you to try as many different types of roulette games as possible, so you can learn the intricacies of the game and test various betting strategies.
• Play at Licenced Casinos – Finding a reputable licenced casino to play roulette at is just as important as knowing effective strategies. Make sure the casino is trust-worthy by checking its licences and reading customer reviews before you register.
• Check the RTP – If you prefer playing RNG roulettes, as opposed to live, we advise you to check their RTP, or payout, rates before you settle on a game. The average RTP rate for roulette differs based on the type; a good RTP rate for European roulette is around 97%, while American roulette RTP averages 94-95%.
• Check Betting Limits – Every roulette game comes with its unique betting limits, so you should check them before you decide which game to play.
• Set a Budget – Before you start each gaming session, we encourage you to set a budget and stick by it, so you know exactly how much money you spend every time.
• Start Small – Once you practice enough using free demos and you feel ready to bet real money, our advice is to start by making small bets. Learn what works before you splurge on roulette.
• Diversify – Many beginners make the mistake to pick a lucky number and stick by it, believing they’d win eventually. However, it’s better to make smaller bets on different numbers rather than bet it all on one (statistics don’t lie!).

Different Roulette Strategies

In the following sections, we will introduce you to various popular and tested roulette strategies that you can try for yourself. We hope they help you learn more about the game and how to win it.

The Martingale

Likely the most widely used roulette strategy is the Martingale which is also preferred by beginners because it’s easy to follow. The Martingale betting strategy works in a progressive manner. Every time you lose, you have to double the bet.

For example, if you start by betting £1 and you lose, your next bet would be £2, so if you lose again, the following bet would be £4. Once you win, you restart the progression by betting £1 again.

Proponents of the Martingale strategy claim that it provides a safety net, because if you keep doubling the bet while losing, the next time you win, you will recoup your losses. While this is statistically correct, the bets grow exponentially and you might spend more than you wished to, hence why we advised you to pick a budget and stick by it.

Experienced high rollers also use the Grand Martingale which is almost the same as the Martingale with the exception of adding your initial bet to the already doubled bet. We don’t recommend this system to beginners though.

D’Alembert

The other very popular roulette betting strategy is D’Alembert. Opponents of the Martingale often choose D’Alembert because it supposedly works better by minimising the losses in comparison to the Martingale.

D’Alembert works on a similar principle though – bet increase when losing and bet decrease when winning – but you only increase and decrease the bet by one point. For example, if you first bet £2 and you lose, your next bet would be £3, but if you win that time, the bet after that would be £2.

We personally prefer D’Alembert over the Martingale because the bet progression is more tolerable, so it’s better for beginners.

The Paroli

The Paroli, also called the Reversed Martingale, is a roulette betting system in which you increase your bet when winning and keep it the same when losing. The Paroli has you double the bet every time you win, restarting it after three wins, but keeping the same bet amount when you lose.

If you start by betting £2 and you win, your next bet would be £4, so if you win again, it would be £8 until you register three wins, after which you take it back to £2. Whenever you lose, you bet the same amount next time.

We found that this system mitigates losses pretty well, but we still advise you to be careful when first using it and to always have a set budget.

The James Bond

If you’re only playing roulette because of your favourite fictional spy, then you can try the James Bond strategy for yourself. It does not involve any calculations or bet increases, so it is indeed the easiest to follow.

To play roulette like Bond, you need to make the following bets: bet £10 on zero, £140 on the 19-36 box, and £50 on the 13-18 box. While £200 is a lot to spend on a single spin, the only way you can lose that bet is if the ball falls between numbers 1 and 12.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed reading our beginner’s guide to roulette strategy! There are many more strategies we didn’t include because of their complexity, but soon enough, you will be using them as well.

FAQ

Thank you for reading our article on roulette strategies for beginners! Don’t forget to also check out the most popular questions on the topic below: