During the past two and a half centuries, professional gamblers, famous mathematicians, and computer experts have all made attempts to come up with a foolproof Roulette system. Sadly, there is no unbeatable way of wagering against the wheel, and anyone who claims to have invented one should be avoided as a sham and a charlatan.

That said, it is by no means impossible to win at Roulette. Many popular systems have been developed over the years. The best of them are based upon mathematical progressions, and each has its place, its own strengths and weaknesses.

The systems described below have proven to be quite effective in the short run. When played in moderation, they can yield consistent profits. But be forewarned that House has a 2.7% edge built into the game. The odds never favor the player, and all Roulette betting systems are susceptible to losses over the long term

Martingale – Also known as “doubling up on a loss,” this progressive betting system aims to win one unit in profit by recouping all previous losses in a single big win. It begins with a bet of one unit on any even-money area of the table, such as red or black, odd or even. If the bet wins, the progression ends and should be restarted with another one unit bet. Following any loss, double the previous amount wagered on the next spin. Continue doubling on losses until a win occurs or until a previously determined maximum loss is reached. Martingale Roulette Betting is covered in greater detail elsewhere on this web site.

Paroli (Anti-Martingale) – As the name implies, this is the reverse of the Martingale betting system—doubling up on a win instead of a loss. The objective is to win a series of bets, at least three and perhaps four in a row. The value of the win will be 7~15 units in profit. Begin with a one unit bet on any even-money area of the table. If the bet wins, double the amount previously wagered on the next spin. Continue playing until winning three or four times in a row, then return to betting a single unit. Following any loss, restart the progression by wagering one unit. The goal is to gather sufficient short-term profit through winning streaks to make up for all losses incurred.

d’Alembert – This betting progression is named after an 18^th-century French mathematician. To win one unit in profit, begin by betting one unit on any even-money area of the table. If a loss occurs, increase the wager by one unit. After a win, decrease the wager by one unit. Continue playing in this manner until the next bet required is zero, and then begin the progression again. This strategy is based upon the “Law of Equilibrium,” which indicates that the number of winning even-money outcomes and losing ones will gradually balance out to 50:50.

Fibonacci – The Italian mathematician whom this betting system is named after never played the game of Roulette. He lived in Pisa around the turn of the 13^th century, more than 500 years before the game’s invention. But he developed a famous number sequence, 1-1-2-3-5-8-13…, in which the next number in the series is the sum of the preceding two numbers. Using this pattern to guide betting, a player will bet the sum of the preceding two losses on any even-money area of the table. Whenever a win occurs, the player will cross off the last two losing numbers in the sequence and bet an amount equal to the sum of the most recent two losses before them. Play continues in this manner until all numbers have been crossed off. The goal is to cross off numbers twice as fast as they are added.

Labouchere – Also known as the “cancellation system,” this betting progression was developed by and is named after a prominent 19^th-century British politician. Like Fibonacci, it consists of a sequence of numbers that are crossed off in pairs when a win occurs, but one of its charms is that the player may set the profit objective to be any amount desired. This is accomplished by structuring the bets as a series of numbers that add up to the profit, such as 1+2+3+4 = 10 units. The player then wagers the sum of the first and last numbers in the sequence. Upon winning, both numbers are crossed off and the remaining first and last numbers are bet. Upon losing, the amount of the loss is added to the end of the series, and the first and last numbers are added and bet. Again, the idea is to cross off numbers twice as quickly as they are added. Over time, all numbers in the series will be crossed off, resulting in the desired profit. A more detailed treatment of Labouchere Roulette Betting also appears on this web site.