Online Roulette Strategy - Don't Play American Roulette

If you've bet real money at an American Roulette table while gambling at an online casino, you need to listen up. First off, there is absolutely no reason why you should bet at an American Roulette table if there is a European table (French wheel) available to play as well. And on the internet, we all know that most online casinos - in fact, all the online casinos I've ever been at - offer both the American and European versions.

Microgaming by far offers the most versions of Roulette. They have their very own branded Roulette Gold version which allows players to make a variety of preset bet arrangements on a European table. They also offer American Roulette. It's funny to me, but every casino offers American Roulette because they know that some gamblers have no clue that American Roulette has a higher Casinos Edge than its European cousin. Some players actually believe it gives them a better chance of protecting against losses.

Allow me to set the record straight (not that the record needs to be straightened for most of you). European Roulette offers a 35 to 1 payout on a straight up bet, which has actual true odds of 36 to 1. This amounts to a 2.7% Casinos Edge. In American Roulette, the payout on a straight up bet is still 35 to 1. However, there are 38 possible outcomes with the spin of an American wheel. By paying out 17 to 1 instead of the true odds of 18 to 1 on the 00 (double zero), the House Edge rises to 5.26%. It's so deceiving because the Casinos Edge doubles just by adding one more bet to the wheel.

If the 0 or 00 did not exist on roulette wheels, both the casino and player would have an equal chance of winning the 50/50 red/black, hi/low, odd/even bets. And assuming that payoff odds were not changed, the House Edge on inside bets would be eliminated too. The column and dozen bets would get paid true odds and only the five-number bet would still give the House an edge. And we all should know that the five-number bet is one of the worst sucker bets you could make at the roulette table. Unfortunately, some players believe that covering the 0 and 00 is a way of protecting their other bets - serving as some type of insurance bet. Futile I say! Or at least that's what other sources say too! I would go into more detail but my hands hurt, and so I'll leave it for the next tip. Now that's incentive!
 

Online Casino Strategy Archive

October '07 | November 2007