No roulette strategy changes the house edge. Each spin is independent, every standard bet on a single-zero wheel returns 97.30% of the stake on average, and any combination or sequence of bets returns the same 97.30%. What betting systems do change is the shape of results: how often you finish a session ahead, how large the losing sessions are and how quickly a bankroll can run out. This page sets out the common systems, what each actually does, and the decisions that do lower your cost. It is part of our roulette guide.

The Systems at a Glance

System	Rule	Typical session pattern	Main risk
Martingale	Double the stake after each loss; reset after a win	Many small wins	A losing streak hits the table limit or bankroll; one large loss
Reverse Martingale (Paroli)	Double after each win, reset after a set number of wins or a loss	Many small losses, occasional run of wins	Gives back winnings if you do not stop the progression
D’Alembert	Add one unit after a loss, subtract one after a win	Slow drift	Stakes creep up in long losing phases
Fibonacci	Move one step up the sequence 1-1-2-3-5-8-13… after a loss, two steps back after a win	Similar to Martingale but slower growth	Large stakes after 10+ losses
Labouchère	Write a sequence; bet first + last; cross off on a win, add the stake on a loss	Fixed session target	Sequence can grow quickly
James Bond	Fixed spread of A$200 on 19–36, 13–18 and 0	Wins on 25 of 37 numbers	Loses the full A$200 on 1–12
Sector / neighbour betting	Cover a part of the wheel	Depends on coverage	Same edge; online wheels have no physical bias to exploit

Our general guide to betting systems covers these patterns in other games too.

Martingale

Start with A$5 on red. After a loss, double: A$10, A$20, A$40… After any win you are A$5 ahead of where the sequence started, and you return to A$5.

The flaw: losing streaks are rarer than winning ones but expensive. Seven losses in a row on an even-money European bet happen with probability (19/37)^7 = 0.94%, about once in 106 sequences. At that point you have lost A$635 and the next bet is A$640. Ten losses in a row (0.13%) need a A$5,120 bet after A$5,115 of losses. Table maximums usually stop the progression before that. Full numbers: Martingale in roulette.

Reverse Martingale (Paroli)

Double after each win and return to the base stake after a loss or after three wins in a row. Losses are limited to one base unit per sequence; three consecutive wins turn A$5 into a A$40 position (A$35 profit). The probability of three straight wins on red is (18/37)^3 = 11.5%. The expected loss per A$ staked stays 2.70%.

D’Alembert and Fibonacci

Both raise stakes more slowly than the Martingale. The D’Alembert adds one unit after each loss and removes one after each win, on the idea that wins and losses “balance out”. They do not: even-money bets lose 19 times in 37 on a European wheel, so over time the stake drifts upward. Fibonacci stakes after 10 straight losses reach 89 units (from a 1-unit start), with 143 units already lost.

Labouchère

Write a sequence such as 1-2-3-4 (target 10 units). Each bet is the sum of the first and last numbers. A win removes both; a loss adds the amount lost to the end of the line. The session ends when the line is empty, which delivers the target. Bad runs lengthen the line and increase the stakes quickly; most players set a maximum stake or line length, which caps the system’s success rate.

James Bond

A$200 split as A$140 on 19–36, A$50 on the six line 13–18 and A$10 on 0.

Result	Numbers	Net
19–36	18	+A$80
13–18	6	+A$100
0	1	+A$160
1–12	12	−A$200

Expected value = (18 × 80 + 6 × 100 + 160 − 12 × 200) ÷ 37 = −A$200/37 = −A$5.41 per round, exactly 2.70% of A$200. Winning on 25 of 37 numbers does not make it profitable.

What Actually Lowers Your Cost

1. Wheel choice. Single zero (2.70%) instead of double zero (5.26%) halves the cost. See European vs American roulette.
2. La Partage or En Prison. Even-money bets on French tables cost 1.35%. See French roulette.
3. Avoiding the five-number bet (7.89%) on American tables.
4. Fewer spins per hour. Expected loss = stake × spins × edge. A live table at an assumed 40 spins an hour costs less per hour than an RNG game at 200 spins, at the same stake.
5. Stake sizing. Bet a small fraction of the session budget, for example 1%–2% per spin. Our bankroll management guide sets out the method.

What Does Not Work

• Tracking hot and cold numbers. Online RNG and live wheels produce independent results. A number that has not appeared in 100 spins still has a 1/37 chance next spin. See gambler’s fallacy.
• Wheel bias and dealer signature. These require a physical wheel with a measurable defect and many thousands of recorded spins. Live studio wheels are maintained and monitored, and RNG wheels have no physical parts.
• Paid “roulette software” or prediction bots. Any product that claims to predict spins conflicts with the independence of results. Treat it as a scam; our guide to spotting scam casinos lists related warning signs.

Choosing a Bet Style

Goal	Bet style	Edge
Lowest cost per A$	Even-money with La Partage	1.35%
Low variance	Even-money or two dozens	2.70%
Occasional large wins	Straight-ups, splits	2.70%
Fixed fun budget	Flat stakes, session limit, any bet	2.70%

A comparison of the two bet families is on our inside and outside bets page, and frequent errors are listed under common roulette mistakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

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