Roulette’s magnetic appeal

There’s no denying that roulette has a uniquely magnetic appeal. There are the croupiers, the spin of the shiny wheel and the moments of excitement that erupt after the ball lands in a particular space. Roulette is fun, simple and elegant.

Roulette is not a game that’s played with any strategy. Pure chance is what drives the wheel. If you want to improve your odds, here’s the secret: don’t play American roulette; Stick to the European wheel.

There are 38 spaces on an American wheel, and only 37 spaces on the European wheel.
The extra space on the American wheel is reserved for the double zero. Americans added this double zero to the standard wheel during the 19th century. The extra space may not seem like much, but it increases the house’s advantage considerably.

The European wheel does not have the double zero. The house’s edge on a European wheel is 2.70 percent. Compare that to the 5.26 percent house advantage on the American wheel. Over time this difference is tremendous. If you play roulette for the same extended period of time on both wheels, you have the potential to lose almost twice as much money playing American roulette.

Surrender

Surrender is offered in some American roulette games. When surrender is offered, here’s what happens. Any wager that’s an even money wager placed as an outside bet is eligible for surrender. Should the ball land on zero or double zero, you do not lose your entire wager; only your bet is lost. This can help reduce the house’s edge to 2.63 percent. If you are going to play an American wheel, try and find one that has surrender.

En Prison

En prison is offered at most European roulette wheels. If you land on a zero, you do not automatically lose your bet if en prison is offered. After landing on zero, your bet is placed en prison (or in prison). To free your funds, you have to win the next bet. If you lose the next bet, you funds are lost for good. En prison reduces the house’s advantage tremendously. On even money wagers, the house’s edge is only 1.35 percent.

Different Colored Chips

The only redeeming feature of American roulette is that players are issued different colored chips. So if you’re playing American Roulette in a casino, don’t be hesitant to plop your chips down on a space that’s already occupied by someone else’s wager. Every player has there own colored chips, so feel free to drop these chips on any space you want, even if that space is pretty crowded. European roulette does not have different colored chips for individual players, so if you’re playing on a Euro wheel make sure that you keep your eyes on your wagers.

When you play roulette, always look for the game that has the lowest house advantage. Don’t buy into any roulette strategy system. The game is based solely on luck. If you want to increase your chances of winning, find a European wheel that offers en prison. It’s the best
roulette variation you can find.