Debating Roulette Strategies

10 October 2024

By Royal Flushes

CINDY: Okay, we finally met someone who seriously disagrees with us about how to play roulette.

ABBY: It had to come sooner or later I guess.

CINDY: Her name is Marian and she learned how to play the game at her church when they held Las Vegas nights.

ABBY: Churches have sent casinos a lot of players.

CINDY: God and gambling.

ABBY: Don’t say that too loud.

CINDY: Marian will talk for herself. Without further ado, let me introduce you to Marian.

MARIAN: Okay, I am ready. Let me give you my opinion right away.

ABBY: Go right ahead.

MARIAN: Your concept that the best way to play the game is to make red/black, odd/even, or high/low bets is not as much fun as going up on a single number, two numbers (or three) and have at it. You spent a lot of time on the idea that with surrender and en prison you have good roulette games because the house edges are reduced in half. I have never found a casino that offers such games. They are as rare or rarer than a dinosaur.

CINDY: Okay, we know where they have been found. They aren’t advertised.

MARIAN: Fine with me. You see betting on half the numbers or almost half at all the roulette games still doesn’t give you an edge. So, what is the point?

CINDY: Well, you do avoid long losing streaks. You can’t overcome the house edge but you can reduce the big negative consequences of a long losing streak.

MARIAN: What if the thrill of rooting for a single number is your thing? It is mine. Why shouldn’t I play that way? The reward for a direct hit is immense at 35-to-1! I can sit through the longer losing streaks. Plenty of other players can too. The reward is the big reward after all. Playing the way you recommend doesn’t give you the heart pounding thrills of watching the ball bounce near or through your number.

ABBY: Well, remember we are just giving our opinions as to the best ways to play the games. In terms of the house edge, unless the game has surrender or en prison you aren’t being given a break from the house edges.

MARIAN: Understood. But you really should explore the other ways to play. Have you ever gone up on one number?

ABBY: Oh, boy, believe you me we have explored them. We have played almost every game and we share our opinions about how we feel about this game or that game. We don’t and can’t dictate how another player must play. Everyone has to choose the way they like to play. But we do share our opinions.

CINDY: But we have played roulette your way and did not find it as satisfactory as you do. We experienced those long losing streaks too. With our way to play you have almost half the numbers covered and you don’t get long losing streaks like you do the way you play.

MARIAN: But the edges don’t change do they?

CINDY: Only if the even-money bets have surrender or en prison. The edges are the same otherwise. They just don’t feel the same when you play our way.

MARIAN: So, I guess this is a stalemate?

CINDY: As most things are in life.