Roulette is one of the most well-known casino games in the world. It carries a certain prestige that most other games cannot match, making appearances in Hollywood blockbusters and attracting high-rollers all over the globe.
Picking the winning number can win you big money but, in the long-run, the house always wins. They make billions of dollars in revenue every single year, meaning that they have an advantage over the players in order to stay in business.
For roulette, casinos like to keep their cards close to their chests but this article will show you the best kept secrets about roulette wheels.
1. Predictable Roulette Wheel Spins
Wear And Tear
Unless a casino rotates the roulette wheel on a daily basis, the point from where the ball is released is more or less the same every time. This means that these certain parts of the wheel are more prone to wear and tear compared to the area of the wheel that doesn’t get the same amount of action.
Over time, these areas wear down to a point where some of the wheel diamonds win more than others. This means that it becomes easier to predict where the ball is going to land on the wheel.
All you need to know are the numbers that correspond to these favorable diamonds and you can gain an edge.
Wheel Design
It is far easier to predict the result of a roulette spin with accuracy than it is for casinos to design a wheel that is truly random. In fact, the only way to make a wheel totally random is by not using a real roulette wheel at all.
And even then, when the ball speed and rotor are randomized, it is still possible to predict where the ball lands.
The house edge isn’t that great, so being slightly more accurate with the predictions can be enough to take you over the top.
2. The Make-Up Of A Roulette Wheel
The Diamonds
Diamonds are the metal deflectors that disrupt the direction of the ball. They are also known as pin, deflectors, and stops.
One best-kept secret of the roulette wheel is ‘dominant diamonds’. These are the sections on the roulette wheel where the ball lands more often than the others. Almost every wheel used by all casinos has dominant diamonds with the most common case being two vertical diamonds.
Casinos do all they can to prevent dominant diamonds as this is a way that they can be exploited. When players know that a ball lands more often than not, they can win more frequently.
The Pockets
Pockets are where the ball rests. On early roulette wheels, pockets were quite deep to prevent the ball from bouncing around as much. However, this makes it easier for players to predict where the ball would finally end up.
Pocket separators can also make it easier to predict the result of a roulette wheel. When they become loose, they can change the trajectory of the ball. Now, this is not easily seen by the naked eye but if you can spot it, you can take advantage of wheel bias.
The Rotor
The rotor is the inner part of the roulette wheel that spins around along with the diamonds. They can easily be removed by casinos to reduce the effects of wheel bias.
Since the rotor is the only part of the wheel that actually moves, it is likely to develop a fault over time due to frequent use. This means that it is capable of producing inaccurate results for the casino, leading to it being easier for players to make better predictions.
The Ball Track
The ball track is the path on which the ball takes around the wheel. With frequent use, the ball track is susceptible to wear and tear, particularly cracks in the wood. They can appear no matter how well the casino takes care of the wheel.
Where the roulette ball is constantly released from the same position on the wheel, this is the most likely place to find wear.
The Base
The base is the outermost section of a roulette wheel. It is very tough so it is unlikely to suffer from wear and tear as much as other parts of the wheel.
The Shaft
The roulette wheel shaft supports the rotor. If it is not taken care of properly by the casino staff, there is a chance that it can bend. If this happens, the rotor will spin at an angle, meaning that it’s more likely that the ball will land on the lower section of the roulette wheel.
This is one of the best-kept secrets about roulette wheels because it can only happen when certain rotors and shafts are in play, meaning that the casino staff will not be able to notice it as often as they should.
3. American Roulette Wheels Vs European Roulette Wheels
There are two types of roulette wheels: American and European. But you already know that.
But did you know the roulette secret that all numbers on the wheel add up to the number 666? This is the reason it’s sometimes referred to as ‘the devil’s wheel’.
The American roulette wheel has a bigger edge compared to the European wheel due to the 00, but to experienced players, this makes little difference to their strategy.
On roulette-computers.com, they achieved an edge of more than 120%. This is 40x more than the European wheel’s edge and 20x more than the American wheel’s edge. While this may seem like a big difference at first glance, it has little effect on the chances of winning.
The only real thing that matters how much you can win from playing roulette is how long you can continue to exploit the weaknesses in the table without being spotted by security.
If security does find out what’s going on, the casino will do it can to prevent you from winning any more money – including permanently banning you altogether.
4. Roulette Wheel Numbers
European wheels have 37 numbers, of which 18 are black, 18 red and 0 is green. On the other hand, American wheels have 38 numbers, of which 18 are black, 18 are red and 2 green – 0 and 00.
Here is how the numbers are usually sequenced on both table styles (clockwise):
European roulette wheel: 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25, 17, 34, 6, 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9, 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26.
American roulette wheel: 0, 28, 9, 26, 30, 11, 7, 20, 32, 17, 5, 22, 34, 15, 3, 24, 36, 13, 1, 00, 27, 10, 25, 29, 12, 8, 19, 31, 18, 6, 21, 33, 16, 4, 23, 35, 14, 2.
While the numbers on both wheels are sequenced differently, the only real difference is that the American wheel has 00. It’s that simple.
Recreational bettors need to understand that most betting systems are not based around the numbers on the wheel. Instead, they are based around the numbers on the roulette table.
Now, there are times where the sequence of numbers will be different from the standard. This is usually because the wheel is custom made, so if you do come across a wheel that uses an unusual sequence, don’t be worried.
5. Modern Vs Old Roulette Wheel Bias Analysis
A lot of people think that roulette wheel bias no longer exists in modern casinos. These people are wrong.
Every wheel used today is biased one way or another but casinos closely monitor their results to see how much an effect their bias has. If this bias plays too much of a role in determining the winning numbers, they will replace it with another.
Here’s the problem: it’s only possible to get a real understanding of the bias after more than 10,000 spins.
Early players looking at roulette wheel bias could do their own shorter analysis by simply comparing the results of the wheel to what they would expect to happen. Sure, the results may not be as accurate as this full-scale analysis but it’s certainly a way they could have gained a better edge.
Today, players using bias analysis to look out for physical defects described earlier in this article. These aren’t usually seen easily but there are some roulette wheel secrets you can use to do it.
One way is to look at the reflection of the rotor where it intersects with the base – this is the metallic part. If you see a slight flickering in the reflection, this indicates that somewhere on the rotor, one part is lower down than the other.
It’s this attention to detail that casino staff don’t look into as much as they should. You can use this roulette wheel secret to spot a bias before the casino has the chance to analyze their data.
6. The Manufacturers Of Roulette Wheels
Most roulette wheels are manufactured by John Huxley and Cammegh Abbiati. In particular, John Huxley is the oldest and most-known manufacturer of roulette wheels.
It’s important to know the models produced by each manufacturer to learn about each roulette wheel secret. This is because the difficulty to beat them depends on each of the designs and their features.
While two wheels can look similar in design, they can still have very different characteristics that affect how they can be beaten. Even the slightest of differences or defects can have a dramatic impact.
The most common roulette wheel designs are the Huxley MK7 and the Cammegh Classic. It’s likely that the casino near you is using one of these wheels but they may be different in color. They may also be made of either wood or ABS plastic.
Each material has different resilience to wear and tear damage, meaning that some wheels will last for a longer time than others.
As mentioned on numerous occasions, no roulette wheel is the same. Each has a unique defect and each is maintained to a different standard.
There are also differences between two brand new wheels of the same model but this depends on what you analyze.
Here’s an example. Imagine you had two brand new roulette wheels that were designed the same. As the designs are near enough identical, when you spin the ball around the wheel, you will notice the balls will bounce in a very similar pattern on both wheels.
Now imagine you placed them on a perfectly level surface. In this instance, you may find that one wheel could have a dominant diamond not found on the other wheel. Over time, these defects will become more apparent.
If you’re new to the game of roulette, you may look at both wheels and think they are both easy to beat and that there is not a single difference between them.
However, by using roulette wheel prediction technology, you can train yourself to spot them easier. If you do plan on using technology like this, here are some things you must be aware of these two things:
- The technology must not make the ball land in an unrealistic manner. While dominant diamonds exist, the prediction tool must ensure that the balls drop like they would in a real casino. For example, it’s rare for the ball to always hit the same diamond and land perfectly in the pocket without bouncing around. The ball must still be able to be somewhat unpredictable as it can sometimes land strangely in real life.
- The technology makes the ball run smoothly. Old tracks are worn, meaning that it’s not likely that the ball will fall back from the track in the same place, making the bounce more predictable.
If you do plan on using roulette wheel prediction software, don’t use it on a wheel that is easy to beat.
7. Automated Wheels
Casinos make more money the more often people bet. If they can keep players at the table for longer, they are more likely to spend more money.
Live croupiers take up a lot of time between spins, due to counting up and paying out winnings, while collecting losing bets and ensuring the integrity of the table. This is why automated roulette tables were created.
Automated roulette wheels are played on a computer. Players make their bets on a touch screen device and the wheel spins the ball automatically.
Early versions were easy to beat but as technology has advanced, they have become more random, and so harder to predict. On the Cammegh Slingshot, for example, once the dealer has called ‘no more bets’, the rotor’s speed changes randomly, making it a lot harder for players to win.
It is still possible to beat automated roulette wheels but more often than not, the player’s edge is roughly halved. So if you normally had a 20% edge on roulette wheels, the change in speed on the Slingshot would reduce your edge to around 10%.
While this may sound like good news for the house, the odds are still in your favor.
8. The Roulette Table
Every roulette winning number is determined by the ball and the wheel itself. The table has nothing to do with the result of a roulette wheel. However, most roulette betting strategies are based on the table’s layout.
For example, imagine you made a bet on the number 1 but the wheel landed on the number 2. While you might think that you were so close, in reality, the numbers 1 and 2 are on opposite sides of the wheel.
Here’s the roulette wheel secret: casinos scatter the numbers across the table to make you forget about the most important thing: the roulette wheel itself.
It’s common for people to refer to the roulette wheel as the ‘roulette table’, but while they are both important to the way the game is played, they are completely different entities.
Beating roulette has nothing to do with the table – it’s all in the wheel.
Conclusion
Knowing these roulette wheel secrets can turn you from a losing player into a winning one. Of course, you need to put the time and effort into the research yourself to give you the best chance.
For anyone reading that doubts that roulette wheels are not biased, just pay attention to how many times the ball hits certain diamonds. On the contrary, it’s almost impossible to create a roulette wheel that does not have some form of bias built into it.
The best that casinos can hope for is that they make the games not worth playing for educated players and professionals. There are times when trying to beat the roulette wheel is impractical too, like on a Friday or Saturday night when the place gets really busy so you can’t gather much data.
Nevertheless, almost every wheel can be beaten one way or another – it’s just a case of finding the defect and knowing the secrets to exploit it.
It’s going to get harder to beat roulette as the years go by and technology becomes even more advanced. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
