In the James Bond books, the eponymous spy outlines his roulette strategy. Using a flat betting system – which means that he wagers the same amount of money during every round – 007 allocates his bets according to the following strategy: £14 (or 14 units, if betting with larger amounts) on numbers 19-36; £5 on the number set 13-18, and £1 on the number 0. 

This strategy was devised by Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond novels, himself. Now known as the James Bond strategy, it’s a popular choice amongst real-life gamblers, but has ultimately been proven to result in long-term losses. So, how can you come up with a method that will maximise your chances of a successful bet?

This article will outline the key steps you should take to create your very own roulette strategy. Whether you’re planning to play real money table games here, or visit your nearest land casino, having a strategy can really heighten the excitement of playing roulette. Read on to find out how.

Memorise The Numbers On The Wheel

Memorising the numbers on the roulette wheel is notoriously difficult. After all, the apparently random arrangement of the wheel has been designed specifically to stop players from trying! There are actually two variations of the wheel, as the numbers in American and European roulette are laid out differently:

American Roulette

On the American roulette wheel, the numbers are arranged counter clockwise in this order: 0, 2, 14, 35, 23, 4, 16, 33, 21, 6, 18, 31, 19, 8, 12, 29, 25, 10, 27, 00, 1, 13, 36, 24, 3, 15, 34, 22, 5, 17, 32, 20, 7, 11, 30, 26, 9, 28. The green 0 and 00 pockets are opposite each other – besides that, it’s hard to see any rhyme or reason to the positions of the other numbers.

European Roulette

Unlike in American roulette, the European roulette wheel features just one 0 pocket. Its numbers are arranged clockwise in this order: 26, 3, 35, 12, 28, 7, 29, 18, 22, 9, 31, 14, 20, 1, 33, 16, 24, 5, 10, 23, 8, 30, 11, 36, 13, 27, 6, 34, 17, 25, 2, 21, 4, 19, 15, and 32.

Memorising these orders can place you at a slight advantage, as you’ll be able to tell whether the ball lands in a certain section of the wheel more often than it lands in others.

Practise Existing Roulette Strategies

It’s often said that you need to know rules in order to break them. When it comes to playing roulette, it’s certainly a good idea to practise existing strategies so you know which principles you prefer, such as progressive or flat betting.

Why not try out some of the most famous strategies in a risk-free setting? Play a game with your friends in which each of you tries out a different method, such as the Labouchere, the D’Alembert (which refutes the so-called ‘gambler’s fallacy’ that luck comes in streaks), or the Martingale. Just make sure you hold off playing for real money at the start – instead, begin by playing for tokens, discs, or even dried beans if that’s all you’ve got! Once you know which existing strategy you like the most, you can modify it as your experience (and confidence) grows.

By creating your own roulette strategy, you’ll be able to maximise your chances of beating the wheel and enjoy a brief taste of life as 007. 

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