Roulette Payout Tricks from a Casino Expert

We’re going to take an in-depth look at the roulette game and review the tricks and tips that make the most sense to me after having watched thousands of players around the world play this fun and exciting game.

From the absolute beginners buying in for their first $20, to the whale who tipped the dealers more than I made in a year, to the Arab Sheik who dismissed his £1.75 million loss with a wave of his hand, saying ‘my (oil) wells make more than this every day’, I’ll spill the beans on the best practices I’ve seen.

Once you’ve read through this article, you will know all the little ins and outs that I’ve gathered over the decades from going to work in casinos worldwide.  I’ve watched players from just about every country play roulette and sometimes thought to myself, ‘now that‘s a good idea’.

Let’s jump in . . .

The Tips That Everyone Should Know, But Still Don’t Necessarily Follow

I love the roulette game!  I really do.

It’s a fun and challenging game to deal and to supervise, especially with knowledgeable players and dealers. 

From huge American casinos bigger than a football stadium with more than 120 tables and 2,300+ slot machines, to small boutique casinos with only 10 tables and more daily handle than the huge American casinos, I’ve seen a lot.

It’s almost like being at a party, and not like being at work at all.

Here are the tips that have risen to the top of the list over the years.

Top Roulette Tips for Beginners and Experienced Players

Generally, the players who bet the Inside numbers, the Straight Ups, Splits, Streets and Corners are the hard-core gamblers whose philosophy is ‘win big or go home’.

The players who prefer to play for a long time with a low risk of losing a lot tend to play the Outside bets.  These include the even money bets of Red and Black, Odd and Even and High and Low, and the Columns and Dozens.

Take a look at the Romanovsky and the 24+8 (which can morph into the 24+10) if this sounds like you. 

Some of the systems are low-risk and because of the way the system works, they have a good chance of hitting a lot of small wins.  A couple of these systems take advantage of anomalies in the layout and are worth your consideration. 

In my article on Roulette Columns Strategy, there is an unusual strategy that I jokingly referred to as the Nairn Strategy. 

There is a system called the 3/2 System that is similar in that it exploits the additional numbers in the 2nd (or 3rd) column while betting on Red (or Black).  Like the Nairn system, it works because of the difference between the number of red and black numbers in those two columns.

There isn’t an equal number of red and black numbers in those two columns.

Surprised?  Yes, I was too.

Like all roulette strategies, neither the Nairn Strategy, nor the 3/2 System can overcome the House Advantage, but both do offer a low-risk opportunity to cash out with a small win. 

Let’s take a deep dive into the 3/2 System:

If you look at the 2nd Column, you will notice that it contains 8 black numbers, but only 4 red numbers.  If you combine a bet on the 2nd column and a bet on Red, it gives you coverage of all the red numbers, and 8 of the 18 black numbers.

That is a total of 26 out of 37 numbers, or slightly better than 70%

If your betting unit is $25, a $75 bet on Red and a $50 bet on the 2nd column will give you the 3/2 that is the name of this system.

With a $50 bet on the 2nd Column, and $75 on Red, you have a 70% chance of hitting a winning number.  It is especially juicy if you hit one of the 4 red numbers in the 2nd Column.

That gives you a net win of $175 ($100 for the 2 to 1 payout on the column bet of $50, and $75 for the even money $75 bet on Red).  If only one of the two bets wins, it will give you a net win of $25.

With a 70% chance of winning either $25 or $175, it’s a low-risk system and may provide you with a nice win for the day.  

Starting with a $500 bankroll, aiming for a win of $200 is very doable with this system, so you may want to give it a try.

It is scalable, which means you can adjust it to fit your budget. 

It may work for your budget if you buy in for $200 and bet $20 on the column, and $30 on Red, or buy in for $1,000 and bet $100 on the column and $150 on Red.

Conclusion

There you have it – 35+ years of experience distilled down into a couple of pages of ‘how to play roulette’ for you.

It really is that simple.  And here’s a brief synopsis of the Top Ten main points: 

1. Have a win/loss budget and stick to it.
2. Play on a European wheel – it’s worth your while to find one.
3. Be selective about the European wheel you play, because it should include La Partage or En Prison to get the House Edge down to 1.35%.
4. Use the Player’s Club card whenever you are in the casino.
5. Never play Triple Zero Roulette.  Never.
6. The 3/2 System, the Nairn Strategy, plus the Romanovsky and the 24+8 are the better low-risk systems to try.  Don’t forget to cash out when you’re ahead!
7. If you are a ‘go big or go home’ player, the Paroli (also called the Reverse Martingale) is your friend.  It cannot guarantee a win, but it gives you a decent shot and you only have your initial stake at risk.
8. The YouTube videos that insist their system will win easily are generally based on one of two philosophies – keep increasing your bet until you win or bet to cover a large percentage of the layout, and you will have lots of small wins.  Unfortunately, they fail to let you know the significant downsides to both these philosophies. Neither of these two ideas is new, and neither will help you overcome the House Advantage. 
9. Always play to win.  Small wins on the journey to your budgeted ‘I’m going to win this much and cash out’ should be added to your session bankroll.  Reining in your horse halfway over the ditch just annoys the horse and drops you in the water.
10. French Roulette is a more advanced and sophisticated game, and once you’ve learned how the Announced Bets work, you may never go back to the simpler game.  Look for the Racetrack or the French layout to identify the game.