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Roulette Secrets Like The En Prison Rule and 6 More That Casinos Won’t Mention

Last Updated January 19, 2023 12:51 pm PST
Top Secret graphic, Roulette wheel and table with money chips and decorative stars
  • Considered the most popular casino table game next to blackjack, roulette is loved by players around the world.
  • Most newbies playing the game might be unaware of the pitfalls that can lead to losses very quickly.
  • Join me as I cover my seven favorite roulette secrets that can help you walk away with a profit.

Add up all the numbers on a roulette wheel, and you get 666. Those with a proclivity to buying into crazy gambling superstitions may tell you that’s the secret of roulette.

I mean, it’s a cool little anecdote to throw around at parties, especially when you throw in the myth about the monk who invented the game before regretting it and subsequently taking his own life.

But today, I’m not interested in discussing folklore. Instead, let’s leave all that to one side and focus on the secrets of roulette that could make you some money.

Interested? Great. Let’s do it.

1. Online Roulette Offers More to the Player

Let’s start with perhaps the biggest roulette secret of them all, albeit one that is subjective.

I’ve played at casinos around the world. From New Zealand to Mexico, I have been fortunate enough to experience how things work behind the thin veneer of various cultures. And while I certainly had some fun, I’d take real money online roulette any day of the week.

One of the best-held secrets of roulette is that you get a better shake when playing online. Without pointing fingers at any particular land-based casinos, there is just so much more to love about playing from the comfort of your own home.

  • You don’t get coughed on or have your privacy invaded by other players.
  • Anyone can choose to play multiple different live roulette and RNG titles.
  • Online casinos offer welcome bonuses and other promotions.
  • Games are much faster and less hassle.
  • You’ll avoid any unfortunate discrepancies as everything is recorded.

This might not sound like one of the biggest roulette secrets you’ll ever hear. But it’s a good ground to establish the foundation of what is coming!

Another good general gambling secret that didn’t make the cut? You can never have enough reliable online casinos to turn to. If you’re in need of a new one (or more), consider the following online casinos.

2. Flawed Roulette Wheels Get the Boot

Moving on to the more unknown roulette secrets, here’s one that few are aware of.

Many land-based roulette wheels have a shelf-life that depends on usage and proper care. If you’ve ever visited Las Vegas or any other major gambling hub, the chances of you sharing the same table with someone trying to exploit faulty wheels are high.

I’ve read about supposed “roulette secrets” mentioning how old wheels can be taken advantage of. Even if you do come across one, it is nigh on impossible to predict where the ball will fall.

As soon as the dealer, pit boss, or anyone else in the house notices a flaw in the hardware, it’s off to the scrap heap!

Many of these wheels will be later sold on as “vintage” items. Some of the ones from the mid to late 20th century look pretty cool!

There are secrets about roulette that most casinos will never disclose. The details of their wheels is one of them.

3. Avoid American Roulette at All Costs

One of the top secrets to playing roulette is to give the American version the wide berth.

Unpatriotic? Not at all. American-made products should make you proud. But any roulette wheel with two zeroes is not one of them. In fact, you’re paying almost double the privilege of playing with a double zero.

In other words, the house edge on an American roulette wheel (likely made in Italy) comes in at 5.26% to 2.70% on a European variant. And there’s more: the return to player (RTP) is 94.74% on a straight bet compared to 97.30% on the latter.

American Roulette
Type of Bet Payout Probability House Edge RTP
Straight 35/1 2.63% 5.26% 94.74%
Split 17/1 5.26% 5.26% 94.74%
Street 11/1 7.89% 5.26% 94.74%
Square/Corner 8/1 10.53% 5.26% 94.74%
Five Line 6/1 13.16% 7.89% 92.11%
Six Line 5/1 15.79% 5.26% 94.74%
Column 2/1 31.58% 5.26% 94.74%
Dozen 2/1 31.58% 5.26% 94.74%
Red/Black 1/1 46.37% 5.26% 94.74%
Odd/Even 1/1 46.37% 5.26% 94.74%
High/Low 1/1 46.37% 5.26% 94.74%

CLICK TO CLOSE

If you compare these odds and edges to European roulette, as we’ll do in the next section, I’m sure you will notice a huge difference.

As far as roulette secrets go, this is not something a casino would be happy for you to know about. And why would they?

4. European Roulette Is King

If you’ve been playing this game religiously for the past decade, this will hardly count among the most shocking secrets of roulette.

But I do want newbies, or those simply interested in unspoken roulette secrets, to take heed. There is no need to play American roulette when a European version is available.

European Roulette
Type of Bet Payout Probability House Edge RTP
Straight 35/1 2.70% 2.70% 97.30%
Split 17/1 5.41% 2.70% 97.30%
Street 11/1 8.11% 2.70% 97.30%
Square/Corner 8/1 10.81% 2.70% 97.30%
Six Line 5/1 16.20% 2.70% 97.30%
Column 2/1 32.40% 2.70% 97.30%
Dozen 2/1 32.40% 2.70% 97.30%
Red/Black 1/1 48.64% 2.70% 97.30%
Odd/Even 1/1 48.64% 2.70% 97.30%
High/Low 1/1 48.64% 2.70% 97.30%
Straight 35/1 2.70% 2.70% 97.30%

CLICK TO CLOSE

One question you might want me to answer for you is how to find the European variant.

Remember I mentioned online roulette being better in my top secrets about roulette? Well, there you have it. A land-based casino is restricted in what they offer. That’s not the same when you play online.

Just remember to arm yourself with the knowledge you can glean from our guide to roulette. You know, before you play!

5. The En Prison and La Partage Rules

We’re clearing through these roulette secrets at some pace. But let’s slow things down a little and touch on something that goes over many heads.

The En prison and la partage rule are almost exclusively unique to French roulette, which you can find at some of the best online casinos. Both are excellent features to have at your disposal as they can help you avoid losses by playing them.

La Partage
A player making an even money bet will receive a 50% rebate if zero lands.
En Prison
Rather than receive that 50% back, they can leave the bet on the table for the next spin.

For those of us who don’t speak French, such as myself, La Partage translates to “the divide” within the context of this game.

En prison simply means “in prison.” In this case, a nice prison though, right? Although I couldn’t see many mob guys playing Rat Pack roulette at Frank Sinatra’s casino tempting fate with this bet.

If you owned a casino, would you handily distribute secrets of winning roulette games around? Nah. Didn’t think so.

6. Most Strategies Won’t Make You Rich

Roulette wheel with ball

Anyone selling secrets to playing roulette is a charlatan. You can quote me on that.

Don’t be disheartened if you have fallen victim to any of these shams. I don’t know a single person that has not been duped in one way or another at some point. This is the way of the world, unfortunately.

As we have covered, there are roulette secrets that can prevent you from losing money. Or, in some cases, increase your chances of profit!

While many strategies will ultimately fall apart, like wet paper, there are some that you should know about. I would go one step further and implore you to have a strong roulette strategy before playing at any casino.

From bankroll management to knowing when it’s time to cash out, it’s the simple things that will help you make some money.

7. Turn Down Those Free Drinks at the Table

Socializing in the casino

The best secret to help you win at roulette? There is a strong argument for playing sober.

Alcohol and other mind-altering substances will typically impair good judgment and lead to bad decisions. I don’t think that has ever been disputed, even if the likes of Keith Richards and Shane MacGowan have accomplished great artistic feats.

As a general rule of thumb, excessive drinking at the tables is a no-no. While this might not be one of the more stunning secrets of winning roulette games, it’s worth mentioning.

You could interpret this as bordering on conspiracy theory, but do you think a casino would want a player with money to be drunk or sober? I’ll let you answer that in your head and think about why.

All I’ll say is that while those cocktails or beers might be free on paper, you might end up paying a whole lot more than what they are worth on the menu.

The last of my secrets to winning roulette? Don’t get wasted and spin that wheel!

Using These Roulette Secrets to Your Advantage

That’s seven solid secrets to winning roulette you now have under your belt.

As covered earlier, things like remembering to play at online casinos while avoiding American roulette will help. Getting wasted and paying random internet strangers for BS will most definitely not.

The best roulette tips are available on our site and do not cost a thing. Make good use of them.

If you enjoyed this piece and also like slots, I’d suggest reading the following piece. It details various secrets of slot machines that can help you up your chances. Much in the same way that the roulette tips above will!

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I’ll let you in on a little slot secret, the more entertaining the slot, the less it pays out. Another slot secret is that you can find some of the largest progressive jackpots worldwide. While some debate it, slot machines are completely random and all...

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Kevin
Roberts
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Kevin Roberts, previously published under the pseudonym Noah Davis, is one of the more diverse writers at GamblingSites.com. Like many of his colleagues, he's a huge fan of both football and basketball. But he also writes about box office records, TV show prop bets, DFS, and all kinds of other subjects. When it comes to the NFL, Kevin's favorite team is the Green Bay Packers. He enjoys cheering them on with his wife and daughter.
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