Roulette Systems

One simple system that is easy to do is to hedge your bets. Hedging your bets means that you place several different wagers in the hope that at least one of them wins. For example if you bet on black winning and hedge this with a bet on the third column you will win on 26 numbers. Any black number will win (payoff at 1:1), any number in column three will win (payoff 2:1) and the numbers 6, 15, 24 and 33 will win twice (payoff 3:1).

Another simple system is the parlay. Using this system you increase your wager, using some or all your winnings, every time you win. When you lose you go back to modest betting until you win and then start again. The advantage of this system is that you increase the wager in increments you feel comfortable with and when you lose the additional money lost doesn't come out of you bankroll but out of your winnings.

The Martingale, D'Alembert and Labouchere systems are all more complicated. The Martingale and D'Alembert systems have one thing in common, they both require you to continuously increase your wagers when you are losing. There are two problems with this: 1) If you have only a modest bankroll you will soon use it up and 2) There is maximum table limit to the amount you can wager so you may not be able to continue to use the system once you reach it.

The Martingale system is the most well known it requires that you double your bet each time you lose until you win. The problem with this system is that you risk large losses for small gains. For example, betting $1 per spin on an even bet, if you lose six times then on the seventh spin you would have to wager $64. If you win you get $64 but you have lost $63 (your profit is $1), if you lose you have lost a total of $127. If you lose 9 times you cannot continue the sequence as most tables have a $500 betting limit so you will lose even if you win the 10th spin.

The D'Alembert system has you start with a one unit bet (a unit is any fixed amount you feel comfortable wagering) on an even bet. Every time you lose you increase your wager by one unit and every time you win you decrease your wager by one unit. If you win the same number of times you lose you will end up not breaking even, but with a profit. The problem with the system is that Roulette is a game of chance; there is no guarantee that you will win and lose the same number of times.

The Labouchere system has you write down a series of numbers (usually 1, 2 and 3); you total these numbers to get a target number (6 if you use 1, 2 and 3) that you want to win. Your first bet is the sum of the two end numbers. If you win you cancel the end numbers and bet the remaining end numbers. If you lose you add the last number bet to the end of your series of numbers sum the two end numbers and bet this amount. Continue this sequence until you reach your target then start over again. Example:

Sequence	Bet	Win/Lose	Profit
1-2-3	1+3 = $4	Lose	-$4
1-2-3-4	1+4 = $5	Lose	-$9
1-2-3-4-5	1+5 = $6	Win	-$3
2-3-4	2+4 = $6	Win	$3
3	3 = $3	Win	$6 = Target(Restart)

If you win the same number of times you lose you will end up with a profit. The problem with the system is that Roulette is a game of chance, there is no guarantee that you will win and lose the same number of times.