How Many Numbers Should You Bet In Roulette?

By Ethan - March 05, 2022

The short answer: it depends. Whether you should wager on many or a few numbers in roulette will depend primarily on your playing style and betting strategy. Of course, each approach comes with its advantages and downsides:

Covering many numbers leads to more frequent wins, but smaller payouts

Betting a few numbers results in bigger payouts, but wins are few and far between

The decision of how many numbers you should bet will come down to your intention and whether you’re playing professionally or for fun.

For example, if you’re a leisure player, you may want to squeeze out as much fun [and as many wins] as possible. Naturally, you want your roulette bankroll to go the most miles and get the most thrills out of your play. If that’s more your speed, then betting more numbers makes more sense —after all, you’ll land wins more often.

Be that as it may, most casual players prefer betting fewer numbers. They often cite lower exposure to house edge (casino’s advantage wired into the game) as their reasoning for doing so, and it’s easy to see why. Most people spend more money per spin when they bet many numbers.

However, the truth is that betting many roulette numbers doesn’t necessarily translate to wagering more money. For instance, you can wager a total of $100 by betting two numbers with $50 on each number but spend only $50 by betting 25 numbers with a $2 wager on each number.

For pro players, whether to bet many numbers or a few numbers often boils down to their preferred betting system. For instance, if you’re looking to take advantage of a wheel bias, you should wager on biased numbers only.

In contrast, some professional betting systems may require you to cover 20 numbers or more (the Kavouras betting system is an excellent example).

More often than not, professional players bet fewer numbers, typically between 5 and 12 numbers. They often target a hot number with two adjacent numbers (also called neighbors) on either side. For example, if the target ‘hot number’ is 14, the player will also bet numbers 9, 12, 16, and 19.

Yes, you can bet every number in roulette because there’s no rule against it. However, whether you should do it is a whole different story. In fact, there are many reasons to the contrary.

First of all, you’re guaranteed to lose money on each spin if you bet the same amount on each number. That is partly because of the house edge, which is essentially a small bias worked into the roulette game in favor of the casino.

Let’s assume you’re playing the American version of roulette, which has 38 numbers (0, 00, and 1 through 36). If you wager a $1 straight-up bet on each number, your odds of hitting a win are 37 to 1, yet the casino will pay each win at 35 to 1.

As you can see, you’ll end up losing 5.26% of your money in American roulette if you bet on every number. For European roulette, that theoretical loss will be cut by half, down to 2.7%.

No, roulette isn’t all luck. It’s a combination of knowledge, skill, and of course, some luck.

Unlike slots, which are games of pure luck, roulette is among a few table casino games where your skill can dramatically improve your chances of winning. That’s not to say you can game the wheel.

You can boost winning odds by using betting systems like the Martingale system and reverse Martingale system, as well as Labouchere, Paroli, Fibonacci, D’Alembert/Contra D’Alembert, and Andrucci systems, just to name a few.

European Roulette, also known as single-zero roulette, is not a favorite among Las Vegas casinos because of its lower house edge. However, you can find them at a few upscale MGM Resort establishments, most notably the Bellagio Hotel & Casino, ARIA Resort & Casino, and The Mirage.

Note, however, that European roulette is found in most high-roller tables where the minimum bet hovers well over $100. Don’t be surprised that some high-limit floor tables impose a $2,500 minimum bet!

7, 17, 23, and 24 are believed to hit the most in roulette, partly thanks to their central strategic location on the roulette wheel. It’s important to reiterate that the roulette ball has a uniform chance of landing on any of the 37 or 38 numbers. If the central position theory is true, then 17 is the number that’s going to hit the most.

Some players believe that the roulette table has cold and hot numbers. As you may have already guessed, hot numbers are the ones on which the ball lands the most frequently. On the other hand, the ball rarely lands on cold numbers.

Whether the theory of cold and hot numbers holds true is debatable. Players who use this approach always bet on hot numbers and avoid cold numbers. Of course, this is statistically and logically incorrect according to roulette math, which indicates that all numbers have an equal chance of hitting.

Hot numbers in roulette are numbers on which the ball frequently lands, usually in short bursts. For instance, the ball may land five times on number 14 in the last 20 spins, in which case number 14 is considered a hot number.

By the same reasoning, cold numbers are numbers that come up less frequently on the roulette wheel. The ball doesn’t land on them for an extended period.

Some roulette players use cold and hot numbers to determine which number to pick and avoid for the next spin. Therefore, these numbers influence the player’s decision. The idea is that if number 14 has come up thrice in the last 9 spins, it must land again soon.

Other players think that if a number has been cold for a long time, it must be due to come up. Unfortunately, the randomness of the roulette game will ultimately affect the outcomes. Nonetheless, hot and cold numbers make roulette the exciting and thrilling game we love.

Understanding the Concept of Hot and Cold Numbers & the Effect of Randomness

Before we explore hot and cold numbers, it’s important to understand how randomness impacts roulette outcomes. This is known as the standard deviation in mathematics.

With 37 numbers on the wheel in a European roulette game, we anticipate each number to appear its fair share of times. However, due to the element of chance, some numbers will hit more frequently than others in the short run.

The fewer the number of spins, the bigger the variance. For instance, if you spin the roulette wheel only 10 times, you could easily land number 8 twice and not number 9. But after 10 million spins, number 8 will come up an average of 1/37. As such, the basic element of luck creates the sense that some numbers are cold and some are hot.

Hot and cold numbers on the roulette table are the numbers that have hit the most and least frequently, respectively, usually during the last 500 spins or during the last 5 hours, for instance. Developers of roulette games came up with the terms ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ to appeal to the superstitions long held by gamblers about luck.

To some roulette bettors, hot numbers may continue to hit and be worth betting on. Another school of thought is that hot numbers have had their turn and are due to fail. In gambling, this is known as the gambler’s fallacy.

Some roulette numbers may indeed hit more frequently than others after 500 spins. However, that doesn’t guarantee that they would be the hottest numbers if we consider the last 1 million spins too.

Roulette numbers are constantly becoming colder or hotter with time. Players only see a small window of dynamic data. We know for sure that some roulette numbers will have been the hottest, and some will have the coldest at any given moment during play. The more spins we look at, the closer we see that all numbers are neither cold nor hot.

Every player has their favorite number, but the following roulette numbers are considered to be lucky (either by design or superstition) …

Lucky numbers in roulette

01

Seven – 7 Red is one of the most popular numbers in lotteries across the globe, and the same is true of its popularity in roulette. It is also considered lucky in some cultures, although no one can explain why.

02

Eleven – 11 Black is the second most popular number in lottos and is often seen as lucky in roulette. It can be a month of the year and a day of the month. Besides, 11 is centrally located on the roulette table.

03

17 – This is another number that enjoys a central location on the roulette betting grid.

04

Eight – 8 Black is seen, especially in Asia, as the luckiest number. It also gets a lot of action on the roulette table.

Unlucky roulette numbers

The number 13 is the black sheep and unpopular roulette number. Other unlucky numbers include Zero and Double Zero on the American Roulette wheel.

FAQ

What color comes up more in roulette?

While it’s commonly thought that Red comes up more often than Black in roulette, the ball actually has an equal chance of landing on either color. That’s why wagers on Red/Black (AKA Color) are known as even-money bets, as the odds of winning are technically 50/50.

What is the best bet in roulette?

Even money wagers are generally considered to be the best bets in roulette. These include Highs/Lows, Red/Black, and Evens/Odds. Split bets, column bets, dozen bets, outside bets, and straight-up bets are also quite popular and easy to place. For instance, a split bet allows you to cover more numbers with fewer chips.

If you consider the best roulette bet to be the one that pays out the most money, then you should place a straight-up wager. It pays 35 to 1 on an American roulette wheel. For example, with a $10 straight-up roulette bet on number 12, you will get a profit of $350.

Does red or black hit more onroulette?

None hits more than the other. According to roulette math, there is an equal chance of either Black or Red coming up on any given spin, so neither color hits more frequently. That is because the roulette wheel has 18 black e numbers and 18 red numbers. This is true for French, American, or European Roulette wheels.

Why are roulette chips different?

Roulette chips are colored differently to avoid confusion. The use of distinct colors means the dealer won’t lose track of which player at the table is playing which chips.

What is the 3 2 rule in roulette?

The 3/2 betting strategy in roulette involves placing three chips on either Red or Black and two chips on a column bet, covering a large portion of the wheel. This approach aims to balance the risk and increase the likelihood of making a profit on each spin.

Is it better to bet big or small on roulette?

In roulette, betting small on fewer numbers can minimize exposure to the house edge, potentially leading to better bankroll management. Larger bets on more numbers increase risk. Optimal betting strategy depends on your budget and risk tolerance for balancing potential rewards and losses.

"What is the best number to bet on a roulette table?

There is no scientifically proven ‘best’ number to bet on a roulette table, as the outcome is entirely random. However, some players may favor ’17’ due to its central location, and ‘7’ because it is commonly associated with luck. Ultimately, choosing a number is a personal preference without influencing the game’s odds.

What happens if you bet on all numbers in roulette?

Betting on all numbers in roulette guarantees a loss because payouts are less than the total amount wagered. This strategy ensures a win only on a single number, paying 35 to 1, not covering all the bets placed, leading to a net loss each spin. It’s mathematically disadvantageous