Support UkraineRed\Black Bet
The red/black bet is just as known as straight bets and can be said to be even more popular. All single-zero roulette variants (i.e., European roulette) have 37 numbers on the wheel. Of these numbers, only 0 is green. Half of the remaining numbers are in red and half in black. In this context, the red and black numbers consist of:
Red: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 30, 32, 34, 36
Black: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29, 31, 33, 35
In this bet, you wager on a specific colour (red or black) and not on a specific number. In any case, your bet will cover a total of 18 numbers and offer a very high chance of winning. This chance is 48.65% in European/French roulette and 47.40% in American roulette. A red/black bet pays 1:1, so it pays “even money”.
| Odds for 0 version | 47.4% |
|---|---|
| Odds for 00 version | 48.6% |
| Payout | 1:1 |
| Expected value ($1) | -0.0271 |
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Testing the Red/Black Bets for Profitability
As we did for all other bet types, we created a simulation of four players and 1,000 spins for the red/black bet too. In this simulation, players spanned the wheel with four different wager amounts: 1 GBP, 5 GBP, 20 GBP, and 100 GBP. You can see what the results are in both the short and long term in the chart below.
These results are not unexpected, except that Player 3 was surprisingly unlucky. Red/black offers the highest chance of winning in all variants of roulette, so we consider it normal for Players 1, 2, and 4 to be successful overall. Note, however, that the win/loss curve becomes more volatile as the wager amount increases. Players with the lowest stakes (1 and 2) have an almost flat curve. Players 3 and 4, on the other hand, experience very volatile wins and losses.
This shows that red/black is the best bet to play with wager amounts as low as 5 GBP. In this simulation, Player 2 was the only participant to make a small profit, and Player 1 suffered the least amount of losses. So, if you like to try your luck with low amounts, red/black will be one of the best options for you.
Recommended Strategies for Red/Black Bets
As red/black is a popular bet and offers a high chance of winning, it is used in most roulette strategies. In fact, most roulette systems are based on even money bets such as red/black. You can see some popular and interesting options below.
Red/Black with Oscar’s Grind
Oscar's Grind is a low-risk strategy that pays off in the long run and can be used for different types of bets. However, it gives the most efficient results in even money bets. This is a fairly simple tactic and requires doing the following:
- Place a 1 GBP wager for the red/black bet
- If you lose, keep playing for a 1 GBP wager (until you win)
- If you win, increase the wager amount by 1 (make it 2 GBP since you are playing with 1 GBP, for example)
The goal here is to end the win/loss cycle with exactly 1 unit of profit. The profit amount should not be less or more than this. If this is the case, you should change the wager amount to gain 1 unit of profit again. This is the reason why this tactic is called a "grind" because it does not aim to make high profits in the short term. Instead, it allows you to get a low but stable profit rate in the long run.
Stretched Martingale Strategy
All roulette players are familiar with the Martingale system. This is a high-risk system with high earning potential and was developed for use in even money betting. The traditional Martingale can cause the player to go bankrupt when the table limit is reached or after consecutive losses, so some more "humble" variants have been developed. Stretched Martingale is one of them.
This system limits the progressive increase in the wager amount and gives the player more time to score a win. After losing, you continue to raise the wager, but this time you follow this sequence: 1 - 1 - 3 - 5 - 11 - 21 - 43 - 85 - 171. Once you have a win, you must return to the beginning of the sequence (1). The classic Martingale reaches 254 units in the ninth step, but in this version, you reach 171 units in the ninth step: the increase is more controlled.
Red Betting System
This strategy uses a combination of red/black and column bets. It was created in the 1960s and consists of two different wagers. You wager 1 GBP for the third column and 1 GBP for black. The third column is chosen because it contains 8 red and 4 black numbers. You are already covering all black numbers, and by choosing this column, you can cover as many red numbers as possible.
You can change the wagers or even place different amounts for these bets, but using 1 GBP for both will provide a more stable experience. You can cover a total of 26 numbers using this strategy, giving you a 70.20% chance of winning. With this system, a spin can be settled in three different ways:
- You can win the Column bet. You will get a 2:1 payout and make a net profit of 1 GBP.
- You can win the Black bet. You will get a 1:1 payout and make no profit, but there will be no loss either.
- You can lose both bets. Your loss will be limited to 2 GBP.
Even Money Payout, Big Winning Chance
Red/Black is an easy bet to understand and follow. It is a good option for players of all experience levels, as it offers a high chance of winning. It is also ideal for a casual gambling experience as it can minimise risk. Red/Black offers the lowest house edge in every roulette variant and can be profitable both in the short and long term when played with low stakes. Roulette systems such as Martingale and Fibonacci are built on this type of bet, and it can be adapted to any other roulette strategy too. When combined with another wager (like the red betting system), it can become much more effective and offer a higher payout potential. If you are having trouble deciding on the roulette bet you should choose, red/black will be a reliable option.
