Online roulette vs in-person casino roulette strategies - How do they differ?

One of the biggest questions regarding strategy in roulette is whether there's a difference between online roulette and roulette at a casino. Of course, you can still find digital roulette tables in physical casino locations, but the concern remains the same. Are digital games of roulette any different to those with a dealer?

The short answer is no. All games offered by licensed casinos have to go through strict assessments to make sure they're fair. However, there are some advantages to using either one. 

Best strategies for live roulette

One of the biggest advantages of playing an in-person roulette game is being able to talk to the dealer. While they won't be able to give away any trade secrets, they will be able to help you understand how the different bets work. 

For example, if you read through this guide and decide that focusing on outside bets sounds like the right strategy for you, you might be able to find a quiet roulette table where you won't disturb too many other customers - and ask the dealer to walk you through how to make those bets and what they mean.

Another winning strategy for in-person roulette is being able to copy bets from other players. If you're not confident in what you're doing, you have the option of watching how more experienced players wager and match their bets. If they're feeling particularly friendly, they might also explain their reasoning!

Best strategies for online roulette

Online roulette can be played at entirely your own pace, which gives it a huge advantage over in-person roulette when you're learning strategies. If you want to check your notes and double-check things, a digital roulette wheel means you won't be holding up other players or the dealer.

This gives it a huge advantage for learning strategies and trying them out, as you can make as many notes as you want, something you won't be able to do at a live casino! It will also be easier to track wins and losses as many online casinos will record this for you.

Should I play American or European Roulette?

One of the first things you can do when starting out in the roulette world is head for the European tables. This isn't about any kind of geographical preference; it's all about house edge. American roulette wheels have a house edge of 5.26%, all thanks to their extra 00 number. 

On the other hand, European roulette wheels have a house edge of 2.70%, almost double in the favour of the player! If you have the option and you want to make sure you have the best odds in the game, always stick to European roulette.

Martingale

Arguably one of the most well-known strategies in the casino industry, the Martingale method is no stranger to roulette wheels. The premise is simple: for every losing spin, you double your wager. This means that, whenever you do win, you'll recoup your losses and start back again at $1.

This works best when you bet on even-money outside bets, such as red or black, odd or even. However, if you hit a losing streak, your losses can grow pretty significantly pretty quickly.

Paroli The Paroli method is one of the best strategies for roulette because of its positive progression staking. Rather than chasing losses, you only double your bet when you win. Once you lose, you go back to your starting $1 bet.

The James Bond betting strategy

The James Bond method might be one of the best roulette strategies, but it will require you to remember some maths. Due to the way the different bets are spread out, the player is likely to win the majority of the time, but it's also best when you don't play roulette for an extended period of time. After all, Lady Luck doesn't like it when someone tempts fate!

First of all, you'll need to bet with either $200 or $20, depending on how lucky you're feeling. For the sake of the explanation, we'll go with $200. The first bet of $140 goes on 19-36, the second bet goes on 13-18 and $10 on a single zero.

This strategy means there are 25 outcomes where you can win and only 12 where you lose. Of course, this isn't guaranteed - which is why it's only recommended to try this strategy in small bursts.

Parlay

The parlay method is another well-known winning strategy in casinos. It's very simple and it requires you to only bet what you win. This means the lowest you can go is breaking even. This is a great method to employ at the beginning, or if you are particularly worried about losing money.

Go for outside bets

While roulette is ultimately a game of chance, as neither the player nor the dealer knows where the ball will land each time, there are a few bets you can make that have better odds than the rest. These are known as outside bets, as they're the funny-looking ones outside of the numbered grid. 

Both column and dozen bets have a standard payout of 2:1, with high-low, red-black and even-odd bets paying 1:1. 

These bets aren't only recommended to inexperienced bettors who want to learn how to play the game; they are statistically in your favor when compared to the 35:1 straight up single number coming in.