Can You Play Roulette Professionally?

Most players who step up to the roulette wheel don’t think about gaining an advantage over the house. Instead, they’re merely hoping that luck is on their side.

Fortunately, you don’t need much luck to beat this game. You just have to choose the right variation to lower the house edge.

Nevertheless, you might wonder if there’s a way to consistently beat this game and become a professional gambler. I’ll discuss this matter below while covering what, if any, methods exist for becoming a roulette pro.

4 Ways to Beat Roulette Consistently

Roulette isn’t exactly the friendliest game for advantage players. Nevertheless, it is beatable in a few different ways. Some of these methods are unfortunately illegal, but they’re worth discussing anyway.

Wheel Bias

Wheel bias is currently the only 100% legal way to beat roulette. It’s also theoretically the best way to become a professional roulette player.

It involves recording wheels spins and trying to spot a pattern. The goal is to eventually find a wheel that favors certain pockets.

Any wheel that falls into this category is “biased.” This situation happens when a wheel gets older, wears down, and doesn’t function as perfectly.

Pocket bias is more profitable because it allows you to pinpoint exactly where the wheel is biased. You can then make higher-paying wagers (e.g. single number) and take advantage of these individual pockets.

Section bias, however, can also result in long-term profits. It takes less time to spot than looking for individual pockets too.

Roulette Computers

A roulette computer/phone is a device that helps you determine the ball’s velocity when it’s spinning. Going further, it uses a laser to estimate where the ball will land when the wheel stops.

These devices might seem difficult to effectively use. However, you don’t need to design one yourself. Instead, some companies produce these contraptions and sell them.

Assuming you’re technologically adept, you could always try producing your own roulette computer. Again, though, you don’t need to become an expert in gadgets. All you have to do is get online and buy one of these devices.

Roulette Cheating

Roulette cheating is another way to beat this game. A variety of cheating methods exist if you’re willing to go this far. Just look at the “Savannah” scam for one method of cheating.

Here are some of the different ways that you can cheat in this game:

Cheating doesn’t involve skilled play like wheel bias. Instead, it’s a blatantly illegal attempt to beat casino games. You definitely want to think about legal matters before attempting to cheat in roulette.

Dealer-Player Collusion

Solo roulette cheating is difficult. It requires you to fool the dealer, which is nearly impossible over a long time period.

Of course, you could always join forces with the dealer. Some gamblers have worked out collusion plots with croupiers.

Of course, other gamblers could always rat you out for cheating. You’d want to pull this plot off during down hours, when fewer players are at roulette tables.

Are Any of These Methods Legitimate?

You have multiple avenues for beating roulette and trying to be a pro. As you’ll see below, though, none of these options are exactly perfect.

Wheel Bias Is Largely Obsolete

Provided you want to win in roulette without facing prosecution, then wheel bias is the answer. It involves advantage play, rather than cheating and is perfectly legal.

Casinos can still throw you out if they suspect that you’re using this technique. After all, they’re private businesses that have the right to refuse service to anybody.

The problem with wheel bias, though, is that it’s practically obsolete today. This method relies on a faulty wheel that breaks down and eventually favors certain pockets/sections.

In the 1980s, casinos were fed up with being taken advantage of by pro players. Billy Walters and his roulette team, for instance, made $3.8 million off Atlantic City casinos.

John Huxley came up with a solution called the Starburst wheel. Unlike older wooden wheels, the Starburst features metal frets dividing the pockets. As a result, it’s less likely to wear down and create a bias.

Wheels have only gotten better and better since then. You could spend a lifetime recording wheel results and not find any bias these days.

Computers Aren’t Permitted Anymore

Roulette computers were once a contentious issue in gaming. Some jurisdictions had yet to ban them; meaning advantage players successfully used these devices to win big.

One famous example involved three Serbian players who won $2 million from the Ritz casino. They were actually arrested and had their winnings confiscated.

Of course, the UK and all other gaming jurisdictions have since banned these types of devices. You can now get arrested if caught using a roulette phone in pretty much any casino.

You’ll Eventually Get Busted When Cheating

You don’t want to engage in any of the cheating methods covered before. They’re just as illegal as the computers/phones discussed above and easier to catch too.

No excuse in the world will save you if you’re caught past posting. Likewise, you can’t just talk your way out of a player-dealer collusion scandal.

The latter type of cheating is often successful for a while. After all, dealers are trusted by casinos to run fair games.

If management catches any whiff of cheating, though, they can review endless surveillance footage. They’ll probably uncover any such scandals at some point.

Depending upon the severity, you could spend years in prison when caught cheating casinos. At best, you’ll do a few months of jail time and have to pay the winnings back.

Simple Ways to Boost Your Roulette Winnings

Advantage play isn’t exactly ideal in roulette. Cheating methods are even less desirable due to the legal consequences. That said, you might just consider using simple tips to win with the game.

Find a European Wheel

The two main types of roulette wheels include the American and European varieties. You definitely want to find a European wheel when possible.

Here are the characteristics of each wheel to explain:

American

European

However, you can easily find online European roulette. Many gaming sites feature the European wheel. You can enjoy this game for as little as $1 per spin online.

Look for the La Partage Rule

The European version becomes even more enticing when the “la partage” rule is involved. La partage gives you half back on losing even-money bets when the ball lands on zero.

Here’s an example of this rule in action:

The la partage rule cuts the European roulette house edge down from 2.70% to 1.35%. You just need to place even-money bets to take advantage of it.

La partage is typically only available online and in European casinos. Assuming you don’t live in Europe, you can look for gaming sites that feature this rule.

Play Online Roulette

Roulette is the most exciting in a land-based casino. After all, you get to experience the sights and sounds of a casino while gambling with other people.

If you want to find the best games and play the lowest stakes, though, then online roulette is the answer. As explained before, many mobile casinos feature the European wheel. You can even find the European wheel along with the la partage rule in some cases.

Mobile roulette also allows you to place $1 minimum bets. Compare this to land-based casinos, which require you to risk $5 or $10 per round.

Pick Up Roulette Bonuses

Bonuses are another perk of internet roulette. They give you an opportunity to collect extra cash on the side of your play.

Here’s an example of a roulette bonus:

You’ll need to satisfy terms and conditions before collecting money from a bonus. That said, you definitely want to read the T&C’s before pursuing one of these offers. Even with the T&C’s involved, though, roulette bonuses are worth checking out.

Focus on Low Volatility for Immediate Winnings

Roulette features many bets with different odds of winning. The wagers with long odds may not win very often, but they do provide the biggest payouts.

Even-money bets are the best if you want to win now. They feature 1.06:1 odds on the European wheel and 1.11:1 odds on the American wheel.

Column and dozens bets also offer decent odds of winning. They have the added bonus of delivering 2:1 payouts if you’re looking for a little more excitement.

Conclusion

You can theoretically become a pro roulette player. Wheel bias offers a path towards consistent profits. The big problem, though, is that the well-designed starburst wheels have largely made wheel bias obsolete.

Your only other alternatives for consistently beating roulette involve various cheating methods. Cheating definitely isn’t a good option due to how you’ll likely get caught and arrested.

In summary, roulette isn’t the best game for becoming a professional gambler. You might try blackjack or poker when you’re looking to make it as a pro.