Five Mistakes To Avoid When Playing Roulette

By Author: Roulette Strike
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Attraction to gambling comes with many risks and potential drawbacks. Roulette is a great game to teach the beginning game skills because of its pure simplicity. However, just because a game may be simple on the player's end, it does not mean the game is easy to be profitable at. Many players, especially beginners, often make mistakes that can ruin their chances of winning. To help you be more profitable and win more often, here are the five mistakes to avoid while playing roulette.

1. Lack of knowledge of bet types and bet strategies.
Perhaps one of the biggest mistakes of all time is not knowing the basic rules of roulette. Depending on the structure of the roulette table and the casino, there are a variety of betting strategies and rules to learn. 

Bets can fall into two categories. Inside bets can fall on a variety of targeted numbers, and outside bets are based on broader groups of numbers.

Inside Bets
Straight-up Bet: A bet placed on a single number.
Split Bet: A bet placed on two adjacent numbers.
Street Bet: A bet on three numbers in a horizontal row.
Outside Bets
...
... Red or Black: Bet on whether the ball will land on a red or black number.
Odd or Even: Bet on whether the ball will land on an odd or even number.
High or Low: Bet on whether the ball will land on a low number (1-18) or high number (19-36).

Not understanding the value of these kinds of bets can lead to unwise choices. More risk, though, also comes with more reward, which is the bet inside the limits of the table. On the outside of the table, the bets are less risky, but the rewards are smaller. A gambler has to know the right time to make bets to take risks to ensure a good return.

2. Chasing Losses
Avoiding chasing losses is even more true after a player has undergone a sizable losing streak. What chasing losses means is that a player will continue to raise their bets with the hope that they can overcome lost money in previous rounds, with even larger losses potentially resulting.

Chasing losses is an example of where even more reckless betting can occur. In these games, a player will rarely make a profit. A player must remember that roulette is simply a game of chance. No betting strategies, such as systems, can break the house edge or cash flow.

How to Avoid Chasing Losses:

- Stick to the pre-gaming losses that you have decided on and will not go over.

- If, after a streak, you have lost a number of rounds in a row, it may prove valuable to leave the gambling area for a bit.

Understand that losses are always part of the game, losing is part of the game, and nothing is guaranteed.

Keeping a level head and staying disciplined is key to not making rash bets that are intended to get back lost money.

3. Ignoring the House Edge
In roulette, one major mistake is ignoring the house edge. Every casino game is developed so that the house always has an edge. Depending on the wheel used, roulette has a different house edge.

European roulette has a house edge of 2.70%, while American roulette, which has a double-zero pocket, has a house edge of 5.26%.

While the house edge cannot be taken away, being knowledgeable about it is really crucial for making the right betting choices. A frequent mistake among many players is to think that because of their lost bets, the next spin is due to be a winning one. Each spin is completely random, and previous losses don’t affect future outcomes. Ignoring the house edge and making a bet, thinking you can win, will surely ensure you lose money.

How to Minimize House Edge:

Whenever possible, play European roulette over American roulette, since the former has a better house edge.

To improve your overall winning chances, stick to outside bets, although they pay out less.

Make sure to understand the odds and payouts of each bet type each time before placing a bet.

Managing your expectations and playing smartly involves a good understanding of the house edge.

4. Betting Based On Superstition
Although many players include superstition when playing roulette or at a casino, they bet on what many would consider to be poor bets. People believe in lucky numbers and “hot” or “cold” numbers, or bets that seem to follow a pattern, and superstition often makes the game more fun. However, relying on superstition is overall the worst mistake you can make.

Some examples of roulette superstition include:

Wagering on lucky numbers that have hit in prior rounds.

Thinking that a number is "due" to hit after a series of misses.
Performing lucky rituals before making a bet.

Why Superstitions Don't Work:
When playing roulette, believing in a superstition to predict where the ball will land is a poor strategy. Every spin is independent, meaning it is a fully random game. Your strategy shouldn't be based on bad judgement. Believing you are lucky or relying on a false pattern will lead to the same outcomes in roulette or to bad decisions in other games of chance. 

The best strategies will be based on understanding the rules of the game, what the odds are, and the types of bets you can make.

5. Not Setting a Win/Loss Limit
When you sit down to play a game or a series of games, losing yourself in the moment and playing for longer than you intended is always a risk. In a lot of venues, there are no stopping points, as games can be continuous, and at a gambling game, you can suffer a lot of unnecessary losses or miss out on a big win if you quit before you hit a predetermined stopping point. 

Why Win/Loss Limits Are Important:

Loss Limit: Decide in advance how much you are prepared to lose (e.g., $200) in a session, and don’t play anymore if you hit that threshold. 

Win Limit: Locking in a profit, stopping the game when you hit a number you set in advance (e.g., $500) after winning.

These limits allow you to stay safe and avoid excessive loss from your bankroll, to avoid long plays that may put you at risk. Especially during winning and losing streaks.

Limit-Setting Tips:

Establish loss limits that correlate with your budget and that you are comfortable with.
Set a loss limit and stick to it.
Assess your bankroll from time to time.

Conclusion
Roulette involves many mistakes that can be avoided, similar to other gambling games, and how to maintain winning and losing limits. These include understanding different types of bets, losing the house edge, remaining disciplined, and avoiding superstition. It can also help manage the experience to be more fun and allow for more financially responsible gambling gameplay. Strategies to lower your odds are available for gameplay and may help your experience and prioritize your expectations.

To get the best strategies and tips for expert gameplay, visit RouletteStrike.com