Red, black, or take a gamble hoping to hit it big? For many players who step up to the roulette table, these are the decisions that will make or break the trip.

Roulette has grown to be one of the most popular games on the casino floor, and for good reason. Its easy to understand, the hands go quickly (but not too quickly), and the odds are very favorable.

Even as its popularity has grown, some misconceptions do still exist. In this article, Ill explain the top 4 commonly-believed roulette myths that should stop today.

Most people in America are accustomed to the standard version of the game that has numbers 1-36 with a 0 and 00 on the wheel as well. You might be surprised to know that there are actually other versions of the game available. Not just that, but they provide better odds to players.

Here are a few examples of real money roulette options that can be found in casinos around the world. Note that just because a certain version is named after a country/region, that doesnt mean its only found in that country/region.

These are the roulette offerings out there with American being excluded:

The European form of roulette is very similar to the American version but with one very noticeable difference. Instead of having a 0 and 00, theres just one 0 space. This might not seem all that significant, but when you consider that the houses edge is typically just the 0 spaces, it means European roulette has only 50% of the house edge that American roulette does.

Frances take on the game might actually be one of the first casino games that ever existed. In fact, some refer to French roulette as the queen of casino play.

Just as in European Roulette, theres only one 0. One major difference, however, is that in French roulette there are fewer betting options. French Roulette is less common than European and American roulette in many areas of the world, but if you do stumble upon the French version, make sure you know the rules beforehand.

If you really want to take things to the next level, try your luck at multi-wheel roulette. This game involves only one table, but multiple roulette wheels are simultaneously in use.

The choice is yours in terms of how many wheels you want to play at once. Then, your single bet is multiplied by the amount of wheels you have chosen to play. For example, if you bet on 3 wheels, you put in 3 times your bet and have 3 chances to win or lose.

Multi-wheel roulette is exciting and presents a nice opportunity for some big wins, but make sure youre staying on top of your plays things can get out of hand quick!

Just as you might have guessed from the name, multiplayer roulette simply is roulette with a group. Whereas normally bettors wouldnt be gathered around the same table and talking throughout, this version of the game allows you to do just that.

While its good for social people, there isnt much else to be gained. Though some advocates do suggest that you can learn many new strategies if you participate and listen.

Since the beginning of time, gamblers have been looking for foolproof betting strategies that guarantee a victory. One such strategy that has been thought to accomplish this is the Martingale System.

Let me first say that I could go on for pages about the mathematical specifics of the system, but I wont do that to you. Instead, heres a quick breakdown of how it works:

Player A bets 2 units, if he loses, his next bet is 2 units +1. If he loses that, his next bet is 4 units +1. If he loses that, his next bet is 8 units +1, and so on. Essentially, the methodology states that you should always make a bet that covers your losses, and then at one unit on top of it so that youll make a profit.

At first, it seems to be a pretty solid strategy. It has survived in gambling circles for decades because its not entirely misguided but there are some shortcomings that need to be addressed.

One of the main issues with the system is that it requires a huge bankroll to actually follow through with the bets in the way that the Martingale System suggests.

Another problem is that the system doesnt take into account what happens if you lose a few hands in a row. What starts out as a reasonable $10 or $20 initial bet can turn into thousands within just a few hands.

When you break it down, the Martingale System, though solid on the surface, simply doesnt hold up. Think of it this way: if there was actually a foolproof betting strategy that gamblers could use to win every time, youd probably have heard about it at this point.

Many gamblers are aware of this phenomenon, but even more have not been clued in. The mistake known as the Gamblers Fallacy is so common that you guessed it it has its own name.

The incorrect philosophy assumes that prior trials have some type of impact on future trials, when in fact they do not. It extrapolates a probability situation that is seen over thousands and thousands of trials and assumes that the same model also works on a much smaller scale.

If that doesnt make sense, heres a much simpler explanation that youve probably encountered during your time at the roulette table:

Lets say the past three spins have ended up on black. Unfortunately, youve lost all three of your last bets as you had your money down on red. When its time for the fourth spin, theres a higher chance of it landing on red than black, right? The correct answer is: no.

While over time, meaning over the course of thousands of spins, the times it lands on red and the times it lands on black will be very similar, on small scale you cant count on it. The lesson to be taken out of this experiment is to recognize that every single spin is its own trial and isnt affected in any way by the ones before it.

To simplify even further, heres an example. For the sake of the example, Ill assume that theres a 50% chance it lands on black, and a 50% chance it lands on red (even though thats not quite right). If you spin the wheel 20 times and it lands on black every time, what are the chances it lands on red on the 21st spin? The answer is still 50%.

The bottom line is that regardless of what happened before your current turn, the odds are the exact same every time. Overall probabilities cant be calculated in one single game, so thinking that something is due to happen is a major mistake that has hurt gamblers since the beginning of time.

If a casino game exists, theres always going to be someone out there who thinks theyve cracked the code. Roulette is no different, and this often presents itself in bets that are spread out across the board.

Obviously, if you place your bet on a specific number or any one of the higher risk spaces, you have a chance to take in a bigger win. However, the odds are never going to actually tip in your favor over the house advantage and no combination of bets is going to change that fact.

Its completely fine to try risking a little more if you arent looking to stick to red/black, odd/even, or over/under 18.

Taking a flyer on a potential big win once in a while is reasonable. Just dont think that you can actually get an edge thats going to be sustainable long-term.

Just like the Martingale System shows, if a foolproof strategy for winning roulette existed, everyone would know about it, and the casinos would have made adjustments.

As long as you stay away from these 4 myths, the roulette wheel presents some of the best opportunities in the casino. The low house edge and ease of play makes it something that should be incorporated into every visit.

Mind your bankroll, ignore the Gamblers Fallacy, and let the chips fall where they may.

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Roulette Myths - Common Myths About Roulette That Gamblers Believe - BestUSCasinos.org