Ahhh roulette systems, what can I say about thee? Well first off lets try and take a
look at exactly what a 'system' is. In my mind a system is any approach to the game that
has you placing bets in a structured way, following rules about how, when, and how much
to bet, and basically dictating the way you have to play the game.
I respect some roulette systems so far as they don't publicize themselves as something they
aren't. Most system pushers try and tell you that their system will increase your odds of
winning, though this is mathematically impossible. The only good use for roulette systems
is to make you aware of exactly how much money you're betting, and the help they
provide in regulating how much you spend. The regulation bit is essential here. I feel strongly that any gambler should pay attention to the rate that
they are running through their bankroll, and a system that makes them aware of this figure
a plus. The problem is, most roulette systems are designed to do anything but regulate
your betting. The martingale system for instance (double your bet every time you lose
and eventually you 'must' recoup all of your losses) ends up putting you in a position
where you're making bets for hundreds of dollars in an attempt to gain back the first
five that you lost. This isn't just silly, it's just plain wrong. As soon as you hit the
upper table limit you're completely out of luck, and you've lost thousands cumulatively
over the course of your increased bets. The martingale system is as useless as all of
the other roulette systems you may have seen over the years.
Why is it that roulette can't be beaten by a system? Basically it all comes back to
how the casinos pay back their odds, and therefore define their house edge. Read over our
roulette odds page and you'll see, no matter what bet you place, or how many bets you
place trying to hedge your others, the house edge will
always be the same. The only thing that can change the house edge is an addition or
change in rules from standard American roulette. Even when this works in your favor
roulette systems will still not help, because the lower house edge that the new rules
establish will be as concrete as the old one. To find out what rules are advantageous to
your roulette play, visit the roulette strategies section of this site.
So even as big names in the gambling industry push roulette systems in books,
pamphlets, web sites, cds, whatever, they are all just out to make a buck off of you.
Think about it, anyone who legitimately has figured out a way to make money in the long
term off of a casino game (other than the casinos themselves that is) will be spending
the great majority of their time making easy money, not going through the pains of
getting their 'system' published. Publishing costs money.
My final word on all of the roulette systems in the world: dont waste your money on them,
they won't make you any more at the roulette table, and they may end up costing you. If you want to up your odds on
roulette, read the roulette strategies page.