Everyone knows that roulette is a simple mechanical device. It is a fixed table with sectors numbered from zero to 36. A ball rolls along the edge of the device and falls into one of the sectors. However, this simple mechanism non-stop beckons numerous generations of players. In this article, we will not consider the various betting options or game strategies that different players choose for themselves. We will show the simplest distribution of win and loss probabilities. 

Opinions

Even those who are not fond of gambling make up some kind of opinion about roulette, about the probability of winning and the fairness of the game. Often this opinion is not very true. A lot of people have heard about the high incomes in the gambling business, which makes one think that the probability of winning is higher for the casino than for the player. This is true. 

Separate Number Betting

For example, consider two types of bets on roulette. You can bet on a separate number. The probability that this number will fall out is 1/37 since there are exactly thirty-seven sectors on the roulette wheel. Thirty-six of them are regular black and red numbers. Thirty-seventh is special. Its colour is green and its number is zero. And its purpose at roulette is to ensure that the probability of winning the casino is slightly higher than that of the player. In the event that the ball lands on the number on which the bet was made, the player receives what he bet, and another amount that exceeds the bet thirty-five times. If not, then the bet goes to the income of the casino. 

Black and Red Betting

Another type of bet is a bet on “black” or “red”. The probability of winning, in this case, is approximately 48.6%. When winning, the player receives his bet and another amount equal to the bet. So, the probability of winning and losing is almost equal and it is difficult to explain the profitability of the gambling business. 

So what’s the catch? Here we come to the most interesting question: how not only to play but also to win at roulette.

The Bottom Line

It would seem that this is how you can play almost endlessly, alternately winning and losing. But, despite the equal probability of falling out of “black” and “red” numbers, they will not fall out alternately. It is possible that we will lose or win several times in a row. With a long game, the balance will still be set to zero. The player and the casino take turns losing and winning back. But here comes the second question: how long can we afford to lose. Obviously, not for long – after all, sooner or later the money ends. 

The situation is the same with the casino, but it has much more money. And if we run out of money, we won’t be able to recoup. This is the answer to the question of how to win – the only way is to have more money than the casino has.