You won’t see this everywhere, but if you do come across a casino or even just a table playing the En Prison rule you’re in luck.    It actually works in favor of the player and greatly increases the chances of winning particularly if you tend to place a lot of outside bets.  It’s actually very similar to the Surrender rule which you’ll also find explained on this site.

It’s pretty straight forward,  if you make an even money bet such as odd/even or black/red and the ball lands on the zero then you don’t automatically lose your stake.  In this situation the stake is considered ‘En Prison‘ and locked until the next spin of the wheel.

So your stake must remain on the table in the same place, and if it wins on the next spin it is returned to you (but without winnings).   If your bet loses then you lose your stake as normal.  Another zero means that the stake remains on the table and stays there until a non-zero comes up.

So when your stake is En prison (it stays in the same place) and the rule is as follows

• If your bet wins you get your stake back without winnings.
• If your bet loses then you lose the stake
• If another zero is spun the stake stays in position.

It doesn’t sound that great but in fact it does significantly alter the odds you are playing against.  It alters the house edge in a European Casino from 2.7% advantage to a rather low 1.35% although this is obviously only for those outside bets affected by the rule.

As you may have thought from its title, the Whittacker system is one of the many progression based systems just like the Martingale System.   Using a pre-planned progression, you can possibly improve or lower your bets based on your wins or losses, just by working your away going along the progression series.

You will build your sequence as follows: create a sequence of amounts (as in the Labouchere System).

• We’ll use a Fibonacci series: 1,1,2,3,5,8,13.
• Begin by wagering one unit — $1.
• Wager $1 again.
• Should you lose, you’ll bet $2.
• Should you lose again, you’ll bet $5.

If you win again, at any point within the series, you will be able to scratch  off the final two numbers of the series — in this instance, 13 and 8.

• At this point, your next bet may be $5.

Like the Martingale, this program is one of negative progression. You must  raise wagers when you lose, and reduce them when you win.  In this way, you can theoretically lock in your gains and recover any losses with few spins.

Some thing to consider: one losing spin can clean your earnings away in one fell swoop. Always understand when to call it quits – this goes for any system even if it’s one you’ve made up.

As with any roulette system, while the Whittacker Progression will assist you to add some strategy to your wagers, it cannot, in any manner, affect the chances in your favour.

Chance is chance.

The roulette wheel has no recollection whatsoever, and doesn’t change because of  what occurred on the previous spin any more than it cares what may happen on the following spin.

The Whittaker Roulette Method is suprisingly popular and many people swear by it.  However you should always decide beforehand what your loss limit it, and know what your winnings target is.  Be prepared to leave from the table when you’ve reach either of these, and recall: it’s a casino game.

Play for amusement, not for a living. Keep your budget in brain, and keep it established in rock. You need to be able to leave from the tables with great memories, even if maybe not a profit.

Some might find that the satisfaction of the game of roulette is influenced by sticking with a rigid progression system like Whittaker, but it’s crucial that you  follow these methods or not.  Also make sure you understand the basics of the roulette rules followed in the casino you’re in – they can make a huge difference to your chances.

Sometimes when opportunity is conspiring against you this may feel hard. It can also sometimes feel  like a permit to print cash so leaving can be even more difficult.  Fate can change your results though in a twinkle of the eye – a big win can convert into a big loss in a very short time.

Throughout the web individuals are seeking for simple means to earn money and obviously gaming and roulette approaches and methods are clearly large on several people’s radar.  For instance for my favourite game — roulette, you’ll notice tens of thousands of possible and complex methods that seemingly will ensure your success.

Throughout this site you’ll discover particulars and answers of several of those methods — however it is advisable to remember none of these ensure anything whatsoever.

With this post although, let’s simply focus on the main concentrate of a game of roulette — the wheel. The roulette wheel consists of two principal components

• rotor — the spinning inner part
• stator — the fixed outside part

Which you are able to observe very obviously in this example of a genuine roulette wheel

- The croupier spins the rotor in one path whilst chucking the basketball into the stator which goes in the opposite path. When first spun the rate ensures that the centrifugal force presses it against the vertical edge of the stator. But gradually the impetus falls and the ball drops in to the sloped portion.

The ball is inside a sort of decaying orbit and it’s falling inwards inside a control flight.
Inside the Stator the small metal can be probably made out by you shaped dividers which are recognized as deflectors or vanes.

These are usually diamond formed and have a tremendous impact on the flight with the basketball mostly because if their diamond form.

If a vane is hit by it then ball will career away inside a different trajectory, see though that frequently it slides between these and continues in the same path.  There are so many random components you can see how finding a casino wheel with a real bias that you can utilise is so difficult.

Ultimately you’ll notice the ball, spirals into the windmill that is re-writing in the reverse way. It’s at this time that the ball first activities the designated pockets. There are however more dividers here between different numbered pockets, these are usually recognized as frets and the balls can be also radically altered by these velocity as it drops in rate.

Ultimately though the ball will negotiate in a single wallets and we’ll have an effect. Picture the large numbers of causes and influences included in identifying it is last place — the rates of twist, the ball, the various frets and the huge number of different accidents and perspectives necessary to establish it is flight. Getting a good moment to view and absorb these can make you think hard about dealer tracking.

Next post i’ll cover a number of the efforts of the mathematician called Ed Thorp and his initiatives to evaluate these causes with a view to creating an infallible roulette system.

Roulette is a game of pure chance, play sensibly and lady luck will decide whether you win or lose.   Over time the game has a negative expectation, which means that it is expected you will eventually lose.  The reason is as is explained on these pages the ‘house edge’  - that built in advantage that the casino enjoys.   However if there is something wrong with the wheel perhaps it is not completely straight, maybe the parts of the wheel are more worn than others – then it might be that there maybe a slight bias.

When we say a wheel has a bias we are implying that there is something wrong with it, but also that some numbers are favored more than others.  Such physical faults with a casino wheels are pretty rare nowadays, as casinos are very meticulous to ensure there are no problems.  But we’re all human and it could happen – casino managers make mistakes too.  Perhaps the installation of the wheel wasn’t performed correctly or procedures were not followed.   A fault can cause a significant bias in numbers without being visible to the naked eye.

If you do detect a bias in a casino wheel then by all means take advantage of it, it’s not cheating!

A Roulette Wheel Bias Story

I heard a story from a friend of mine who was playing in a casino in France.  It wasn’t a large casino just one of those older, provincial casinos you find all over Europe.  Anyway when playing in this casino he noticed that in the evening under the glare of the elaborate chandeliers that a few of the metal pockets on the wheel seemed to gleam a little differently.  He decided this was due to them appearing to be slightly more worn than the rest of the pockets.    Anyway to investigate he started clocking the wheel and noting all the numbers, whilst doing this he just played random outside bets occasionally so as to look natural.

He concluded after several hours that there did seem to be some bias in this particular roulette wheel.  The worn pockets for some reasons seemed to be coming up more often that the other numbers. There were four of these numbers in total and he gradually started placing large bets just on those particular numbers.  Of course they didn’t always come up, this was only a slight bias but my friend did make a large profit for the evening.

He returned for the next four nights, each night focusing on these four biased numbers.  Every night he won, every night a big profit was banked. Until one night he returned to find that the casino wheel had been replaced.  That is the problem with a real roulette wheel bias, if someone starts to exploit it then it becomes noticed very quickly unfortunately.

It is possible to have a bias in other forms of roulette too.  For example in the hundred of online casinos, the wheel is of course electronic and it’s spin is controlled by a computer algorithm.   This algorithm contains some code known as the RNG (Random Number Generator) which ensures that spins are random.  Of course this will never be perfect as you can’t program ‘random’ – many people insist there are weaknesses in popular online casinos.  These are supposedly exploitable by a large assortment of  casino killer type software like this – the Casino Sniper

Personally I don’t think they work for the simple reason that if they did work you’d be mad to release it to the outside world!  It is definitely possible though which is why I would always prefer to play at real physical casino and if I can’t then one of the excellent real time online casinos like Dublinbet.

Here’s a quick chart which illustrates the payouts for all the major roulette bets.

Bets and Payout

The above figure reflect the actual payout made by the casino, not the real odds.  So for example if you place a bet on a single number and win – your payout will be 35 dollars for each dollar placed.  You also will get your initial stake back on any winning spin.

If you’ve ever fancied yourself as James Bond in your local casino then this systems might be for you as it’s named after the famous spy.  Although I’m not exactly sure if this is the sort of system the flamboyant secret agent would have selected.  The system we are going to introduce here is called the Labouchere System which is one of the many negative progression strategies. This esentially means that when you make a losing bet you increase your stake to cover the loss. The thinking behind this is that whenever you win any previous losses will be covered too.

It’s not difficult to follow, although if you are using Labouchere System for the first time then making notes with a pen and paper will help. In order to keep this illustration simple then we’ll use a very simple sequence of 1,2,3,3,4.

To work out your initial stake then add the first and last number listed in your sequence together, so in this example it would be 1 and 4 to make a five dollar stake.  If you win then you will need to cross off those numbers off your sequence, so in our example it’s 4 and 1.

You would then have to decide on your next stake which is the sum of the first and last numbers remaining in our sequence – here it’s 2 and 3 so thestake is again 5 dollars.  You keep betting like this until you only have one number remaining which will be your final bet.  Of course, you’re not going to win every spin so the question is what do you do with the Labouchere Strategy when you lose?

It’s actually quite straight forward, when you lose then you can add the number to the sequence instead of taking it away.In this illustration on losing the first spin we’d have added 5 to the end of our sequence (1+4).You have to complete a sequence before you can start a new one.

The Labouchere Strategy certainly sounds simple so what’s the thinking behind it ?

It’s very logical, simply if you win you remove two numbers and if you lose you add a single number.So if you are able to complete the sequence you will have won.The sequence of numbers determines everything in this strategy – the winnings, the stake and your potential losses.When compiling your list remember that the larger the numbers, then the bigger your winnings can be – but also your losses.If you complete a sequence you will have won however a bad run of luck can make this very difficult to achieve.

With all these roulette systems it’s important to remember that the Labouchere System won’t change the odds in any way.It does however ensure you play with some discipline.It’s also useful for another important facet to successful gambling – sticking to your budget.When you get used to it, it’s actually quite a fun roulette strategy to employ.Don’t put too many high numbers in your sequence though – although it can bring high winnings remember you have to place the stake in the first place.

The next bets we are going to cover take place outside the 0-36 numbered area. You’ll see them listed around the numbered area and are referred to as ‘outside bets’. There are three distinct types of outside bets and all of them have different odds which is their main distinction.

Even Money Bets

These bets return winnings equal to you the stake you place. There are three types of even money bets all with the same odds – high-low, odd-even and red-black. You can place wagers on each of these bets – or even multiple bets on the same spin – e.g. you could bet on a red, odd and high number being spun.

Here are the Even money outside bets available on most roulette tables.

There is an important point to remember, although the payouts on these bets are even money, the odds aren’t.  This is because if the wheel is spun and a zero comes up then the house wins.  This tilts the advantage to the casino  - on European wheels there is a single zero, but on an American roulette table there are two zeros – this doubles the house advantage.  Needless to say it is much more preferable to play on a European table – if you’re playing in a casino somewhere in the US then you may have no choice but you should never play roulette online using a table which has two zeros!

There are rules which limit this advantage, for example in Atlantic City you’ll find most of the casinos operate the ‘no surrender’ rule which will allow you to remove half your bet when a zero is spun.  In Europe this rule is expanded into something known as “En Prison’ where you get even more chances.   Playing roulette on a European wheel operating the ‘En Prison’ rule gives the player about the best odds he’ll find for roulette.

The bets themselves need little explanation.

High Low Bets

You choose to bet on (1-18) Low or 19-36 (High).  If you choose correctly your bet wins at even money.

Odd-Even Bets

You can bet on the number being odd or even.  So if you place your stake on odd and a number like 19, 21, or 27 comes up then you win.  Note that zero on all these bets is a house win.

Red-Black

There are 18 red numbers and 18 black numbers so the odds on red or black are equal.  Pick red or black and win or lose on the result, payout is at even money and again zero is a loss (it’s normally green).

These even money roulette bets are normally at the heart of most roulette strategies and systems.  But remember that each spin is independent, the wheel has no memory.  If the dealer spins 9 reds in a row, the odds on spinning a red in the next spin are exactly equal however you may be expecting a black number.   Many roulette strategies try to pretend that these odds change depending on the previous spins – which is nonsense whatever they say.

The oldest and many would probably maintain the best version of roulette is the French Roulette game.  If you’ve read about any roulette system then be certain it specifies that you play French or European roulette, the single fact that it has one zero is essential to your chances of winning.

But there’s more than just getting the best odds, the French version of roulette introduces a range of advanced bets which nearly all are beneficial to the player.  The basics are just the same as the normal rules of roulette but there are lots of other little tweaks that can add to the fun.

For example Tiers du Cylindre is a bet on all twelve numbers opposite the zero on the roulette wheel.

Les Voisins du Zero (neighbours of zero) is a similar bet but this time on the 17 numbers which surround the zero on the wheel itself i.e. those between 22 and 25.

Next up is Les Orphelins (the Orphans) – a bet on all the rest of the numbers not included in the above two bets.

There’s even a strange little bet based on all the numbers that ends with a particular digit – called Finales en Plein.  Such as 1, 11, 21 and so on.  There are in fact loads of different versions of the Finales en Plein which you’ll often find on offer in internet based casino sites.

Finally there is the very similar ‘Finales a Cheval‘ which is similar but this time the bet is based on numbers with two similar digits like 3, 6, 13, 16, 23 and 26, 33 and 36.

As mentioned,  there is nothing to be worried about none of these extra bets need necessarily add to the complexity of French roulette – they are merely a few extra ways to play.  You can easily just ignore these bets and play as normal if you so wish, I do think they add to the class of French roulette though!

So what is the very best roulette bet?  Unfortunately there is no single answer because it very much depends on a number of different objectives.You need to answer some questions.  Is your primary goal just to maximise profit?  Or perhaps it is to maximise your playing time or just the maximise likelihood of a really big win.

But certainly you should be honest with yourself and realise  that in the long run it’s pretty much impossible to be ahead overall.Purely because roulette has a built in advantage for the house, something that you can never defeat.

Remember on a American Wheel for example which has a couple of zeros on the wheel, the house will payout approximately 94.7% of the bets taken.Mind you if you’re playing online you should be on a European wheel which the house will pay up to 97.3%.It’s the most important tactic you can employ in fact, never play on an American roulette wheel if you have any choice.

There are other advantages which make a significant change to the house odds such as En Prison, Le Partage rules both are good for the player.Most of the European casinos will use both of these aswell for a very fair game.Just to summarise they help you get a little of your money back when the wheel spins a zero.It certainly makes the even money bets much more attractive and reduces the house odds considerably.In fact with all these rules and on a european wheel the advantage is down to a very reasonable 1.35%.Just remember European wheel plus en prison equals the best odds on offer.

So the rules of the roulette game you play are in fact more important than the bets you place.But don’t fret too much about the long term gain of roulette.It’s a game of chance and luck, which if lady luck is on  your side can lead to incredible winnings.
If you focus on inside bets like individual numbers then you’ll get very wild swings in your stake.There is the potential for much bigger wins, unfortunately winning will happen much less often using these bets.If you stick to the outside bets, it’s harder to win big but your stash will last much longer.So to maximise your casino playing time then the outside bets are definitely for you.But if you’re feeling very lucky then inside bets could lead to a fortune.

This is one of the reasons that I love roulette, it’s a game of chance which you can play recklessly or very conservatively depending on how you feel.If you have a few hours to kill and want to make sure your cash lasts out then pick the outside bets.However in practice most players will probably use a combination of inside and outside bets when they play.It’s definitely wise to have some sort of basic strategy and especially important to decide upon a time you will finish before your start to play.

The rules of roulette are actually quite simple – here’s a quick summary.

In European roulette there are a total of thirty seven pockets, which include the numbers  0-36 inclusive.  These are also alternately colored red and black apart from zero which is normally green.In order to win, you need to predict the outcome of each spin of the wheel by placing bets on the outcome.

But by far the easiest way to learn the rules of roulette and betting strategies is by actually playing the game.  However obviously you don’t want to risk real money whilst learning these rules so we have something for you.

Below is a fully functioning online casino brought to us from one of the most trusted casinos in the business – Bodog.  There’s no need to register and you can play below using free tokens straight away – just try it.  Below you’ll find a summary of the rules and a quick list of the majority of the roulette bets for reference.

Have Fun

To Play for Real Money – Visit Bodog Casino

To Play for Real Money – Visit Bodog Casino

Inside Bets – There are actually a huge variety of inside bets which will normally match the maximum table amounts.
Outside Bets - These match the minimum betting stakes and are mostly selections of groupings.

Straight Up (Inside Bet)
This is the simplest bet on a specified single number which pays odds of 35-1.
Split Bet:
This is a bet on the ball landing on either of two specified numbers by putting stake on adjacent lines.  It pays out at 17-1.
Street Bet
This is a bet placed on a row of three specified numbers on a vertical line.The pay out on  this bet is 11-1.
Special Street Bet
This bet is very similar to the normal street bet, but is on specif numbers 0,1 and 2 or 0,2 and 3.
Line Bet
The line bet is actually like placing two Street bets, so your covering six numbers with a 5-1 payout when you win.
Four Bet
A bet placed on the numbers 0-3 inclusive.
Corner Bet
This is a bet placed on any four adjacent squares and it pays 8-1 on a win.

Outside Bets

Column Bet – is a bet on the ball landing on any of the twelves numbers on three horizontal rows, it pays out at 2-1.
Dozen Bet  -this is a bet made up of three squares, with one from each dozen block i.e. 1-12, 13-24 and 25-36.  Zero is a loser.
Colour Bet – This is a simple bet paying evens 0 that the ball will either land on Red or Black.
Odd/Even Bets -
This is simply a bet on whether the ball will land on an odd or even (zero is a loser again) Payout is 1-1.
High/Low Number Bet – This is another even money bet, predicting that the ball will either be low (1-18) or High(19-36))

This is just a quick summary of some of the main roulette rules, you will find much more in depth information on the specific posts on our site.