Proper Roulette Play

2 July 2024

By Frank Scoblete

I enjoy playing roulette at a semi-full table which simply means I can get my seat in front of the even-money wagers. Otherwise, I’ll skip the game.

Standing at the table makes me tired. I want my body – my old, old body – to relax when I am in a casino.

The even-money wagers pay out even money but the house still has its edge over the player. On the double-zero wheel (0, 00) the player wins nine times and loses 10 times. The house edge is the regular 5.26 percent as it is on every other bet.

[Please note: There are now three roulette games out there. The single zero game (0); the double-zero game (0, 00); and the new one, the crummy one, called the triple zero game (0, 00, 000). The house edges on those games come in at 2.7 percent - low; 5.26 percent medium edge, and yes, yes, here it comes, at 7.69 percent - just awful - respectively.]

To me the even-money bets will mean that even if you hit a bad streak you can be wagering an agreeable amount that won’t sink you if you lose a few in a row. On the even-money bets you do win now and again on a cold table and quite a lot at a hot table – and everything in between.

Big bad losing streaks, the kind you can get if you bet straight up on a number, can be avoided by betting those even-money bets.

Of course, you are not guaranteed a long losing streak on straight-up betting on this or that number; but it is more likely to happen than not. So, I prefer not to chance it.

My idea of gambling is to bet a small amount and avoid big losses. If I don’t have an edge at a game, and sadly the days where you can stumble upon a biased wheel are long gone, then I take great care wagering my dough.

I will give myself “X” amount of money for a session of roulette and when I get tired or when I have taken something of a beating, I will take a break. I can always come back to the table after a short or long break. I have no problem quitting for a time.

Please Arrest Me!

Now at the single-zero (0) wheel and at the double-zero (0, 00) wheel some casinos will offer an option on the even-money bets. These two options are called “surrender” on the double-zero game and “en prison” on the single-zero game.

They will both cut the house edge in half.

On the “surrender” option if the zero or zero-zero shows, the dealer will only remove half of your losing bet. This will cut the house edge down to 2.63 percent. Pretty good.

On the single-zero wheel if that single zero shows the dealer will not take your losing bet, instead he or she will arrest it and wait for the next spin. The house edge now falls to 1.35 percent (one of the best bets in the casino!).

These options are rarely stated in any of the table-charts. You have to ask the dealers if this is a part of the game they deal.

Now, to that triple-zero game. Casinos that offer this game are looking to sock it to the players and I haven’t found one yet that offers relief when a green zero or zero-zero or zero-zero-zero shows. I avoid this game. If you can’t avoid it, then only bet every other spin.

All the best in and out of the casinos!

Frank Scoblete’s books are available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Kindle, e-books, libraries, and bookstores.