Roulette has been around since the end of the eighteenth century and is played by millions of people across the globe. It is not surprising then that players have brought their own ideas and philosophies about the game into the mix and a number of myths have sprung up over the years.
While many Roulette myths are just fun superstitions, others can seriously affect your bankroll negatively if you happen to believe them and play accordingly. So in order to separate fact from fiction and keep you on the winning path, let’s take a look at some of the popular Roulette myths that could be affecting the way that you play!
The Roulette Wheel contains “Sleeping Numbers”
The European Roulette Wheel contains 37 numbers and the American Roulette Wheel 38 (thanks to the additional “00”). This means that there are a lot of numbers that won’t come up for quite some time as you play. Some gamblers refer to any numbers that the ball doesn’t land on for longer periods of time as “Sleeping Numbers”. The same can apply to certain sections of the table or a colour.
Many roulette players keep track of these types of things in an attempt to divine the next spin and concentrate on “sleeping numbers” and sections reasoning that they are “due” to come up soon.
This may sound like a good strategy but unfortunately the law of gambling is such that past results cannot be used as an indicator of future outcomes. So just because a certain number, colour or section of the Roulette table doesn’t win, it certainly doesn’t mean that it will win in future. Results at both brick and mortar and online casinos are completely random.
All Roulette Games offer the same odds
This myth is particularly common amongst novice casino players who assume that all roulette games are created equal and offer the same odds of winning as the next.
This definitely is not the case and it’s always good to check on the payouts at the casino you play at. Also, bear in mind that American Roulette carries a 5.26% house advantage while European Roulette has a much more favourable 2.70% advantage. French Roulette (when you can find it) offers even better odds still with a mere 1.35% house edge on certain bets. So the game variation you choose can significantly impact your bankroll and chances of winning.
Betting Lucky Numbers & Using Lucky Charms
Most gamblers have lucky numbers that they believe will help them to win they play. Due to the nature of Roulette with its numbered table layout, players often place substantial bets on their lucky number/s or combinations of these believing that they will win big in doing so.
Some people also wear or hold lucky charms when playing Roulette believing that these will attract good luck and lead to winning when playing this casino game.
As mentioned previously, the outcomes of Roulette are completely random and counting on your lucky numbers or lucky charms to win is a very hit and miss affair. That said you can bet on them for fun, but don’t believe in them above all else.
Roulette Betting Systems Work
Beating the house edge and walking away with huge profits is a never ending pursuit for most gamblers and let’s face it, it’s very tempting to believe that secret systems and tricks will help you to win. You will even find some famous betting systems, for example, the Martingale Roulette system which is trusted by many players. This system requires you to double all of your betting amounts after losses which can be dangerous as you can quickly lose a lot of money.
In light of the fact that no betting system has ever been consistently proven to lower the house edge in the game of Roulette it is best to avoid these altogether and approach roulette as simply an entertaining pastime that may or may not be profitable.
Most Roulette Wheels are biased
When playing online roulette wheel bias is not a factor so you can forget about that. At land based casinos some famous casino players like Gonzalo Garcia-Pelayo and Joseph Jagger have had luck at finding roulette wheels that favour a certain number due to their bias BUT achieving this type of feat is exceptionally difficult and you’ll need to record tens of thousands of spins to find a single roulette wheel that is off center so you’re better off not wasting your time as you may still end up disappointed.
If you continue to play you’ll win
A losing streak is never fun but instead of riding it out you need to know when you cut your losses and call it a day. Never throw good money after bad and chase your losses by continuing to place wagers. If your losing streak continues you will lose your entire bankroll so never buy into any advice that if you just keep playing you will eventually win.
