Roulette is one of the oldest and most well-known casino games; there are two variants to be aware of—the European and American versions. The former is the original, emerging from Europe over four centuries ago. The American version took on a slightly different form as the game was packaged and sold to a new audience worldwide.

An American roulette wheel contains a double zero and a single zero – rather than the European one, which contains just one – that’s it. However, for those who bet on zero, a lot of the strategy and theory behind it, which we will be diving into today, remains the same.

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There are many online roulette gaming ideas that bettors implement. Whether they play at a land-based casino or browse roulette online platforms, gamers only have a finite number of ways to play. It doesn’t matter if they prefer to bet on outside bets or inside bets; all bets operate within a rigid framework.

Inside bets are individual bets on any number, and outside bets are those pockets that split the table in two. You can bet on red or black, odd or even, or the first or last set of 18 numbers. Horizontal columns also cover three different dozen sections, but the first, second, and third dozen pockets as an outside bet are another popular bet that payout 2:1.

When players pick numbers, they may pick a cluster of numbers, putting the chip at the apex of two, three, or four numbers that interlap on the table. Due to the layout of a roulette table, players can bet on combinations of zero, which include:

1. 0 and 1
2. 0, 1, and 2
3. 0 and 2
4. 0, 2, and 3
5. 0 and 3

Betting on zero is both an unconventional bet and one that acts as a hedge. As we discussed in the last section, the outside bets divide the table into two parts: odds and evens, red and black, etc. Those who play American roulette will be aware of the double zero and how betting on double zero follows a similar format. However, the house has the edge because of the zero.

If there was no zero, it would mean that odds, evens, red, black, etc, would be precisely 50/50 bets, but they’re not. The odds of red or black are 48%. So, those who bet on zero sometimes believe they are hedging against the house, covering their own bets, and providing some insurance against their own strategies within the confines of bets on numbers between 1 and 36.

If you’ve played roulette at a land-based casino, especially on a busy night, you’ll see just how brutal it can be if zero comes in twice within a short period – stacks of chips wiped off the table and into the dealer’s bucket. Those who cover with 0 are left standing, but this doesn’t mean that it’s a profitable strategy; it’s just one way that roulette gamers try to negate the house’s overarching power and edge.

Roulette gamers will apply all sorts of superstitions to their strategy. Ultimately, they’re all futile. It’s not like the blackjack scene from The Hangover – it’s a total game of chance. In Chinese culture, some believe that 0 is a lucky number.

Multiple good luck charms and symbols have made their way into casino gaming, whether the dragon in slot gaming or the Buddha. The Buddha is a symbolic, ancient tradition in many parts of Asia, but Western culture has adopted it to represent good luck in casino gaming.

The same applies to fiction and non-fiction animals, such as dragons, fish, or toads – there are many to choose from and dozens of examples. While roulette follows a more conventional number game style layout – superstition still plays a part in why people bet on the fabled zero.

Ultimately, we are creatures of habit. Therefore, our betting strategies often follow a similar blend of ideas or themes. For instance, I usually bet on numbers in roulette. I bet on the number 9 because it’s my friend’s lucky number, the number 17 because I happened to win once with it, and the numbers 23 and 7 for my significant other’s birthday.

Now, does this strategy proved to be fruitful for me? Absolutely not. Just like betting on the number zero doesn’t net anything. Yes, it will act as a hedge and might have you sitting at the table longer than everyone else when all the chips are cleared, but the house always wins eventually. Betting on zero follows the same principles, and while some people might think they have one over on the house by covering the edge, the fact remains that it’s completely arbitrary – roulette is a game of entertainment. There’s nothing you can do to put the odds in your favour.