Players who gamble on the roulette with great regularity have all kinds of strategies. More than once you’ll come across people who have built their entire strategy around so-called “hot numbers” or lucky numbers. In this article you’ll find out what’s really true about the stories surrounding this extraordinary phenomenon.
Many players understand that roulette is simply a game of chance where the casino has a certain house edge. They play for fun and hope that they make a lucky bet at the right time.
But there is also a small group that does not understand the math behind casino games. Some players even think that magical powers help them play roulette. Very optimistic players, but at the same time a bit gullible.
What are “Hot Numbers” and what role does the roulette wheel play in this?
There is also a third group of players. Who thinks they have found a particular flaw in roulette. They think that raising and lowering their bets affects the outcome of the game. Or that the roulette wheel simply has a certain aversion to certain numbers. This is further confirmed when certain numbers appear on the screen in succession as winning numbers. In this article we will take a closer look at this phenomenon, the existence or non-existence of lucky numbers.
We take American roulette as an example because it uses the highest house edge. This roulette has 38 numbers, including a single and double zero. This means that players have a 37:1 chance of winning a particular number. Of course, this assumes that each number has an equal chance of falling.
Also in Lightning Roulette, you can see the hot numbers
Casinos use well-balanced roulette wheels. These are also replaced regularly so that they do not get worn out. Furthermore, roulette tables in the casino are moved frequently. So if you find a different roulette wheel, the next day it might be in a different place.
At the roulette table, the winning numbers are displayed. The idea is that players make their bets based on the numbers that have fallen in the previous series. If the number twelve has fallen twice it does not mean that it will happen again.
If you want to know if there are any lucky numbers, you will have to make at least 10,000 spins to get a fair idea. Only then does it become clear whether certain numbers fall more often or not due to a deviation in the wheel. At a speed of 50 spins per hour, you will have to stand behind the roulette for 200 hours. You could try to establish it with a few less spins. But at only 1,000 spins, that will still cost you 20 hours of your life.
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What do “Hot Numbers” mean for the house edge?
The house edge in American roulette is based on the fact that you have 38 numbers. Each specific number has a 37 to 1 chance of falling. The payout for winning is then 35 to 1. Let’s play a perfect game round. We spin the roulette 38 times and each number comes up as the winning number once. During each round you bet €100 on each number. Then you win €3500 for the winning number, but lose €3700 on the other numbers. A net loss of €200. The house advantage here is 5.26%.
Now suppose that there is indeed such a thing as lucky numbers, where the probability of a number falling is 34:1. In 34 perfect spins you win €3500 once and lose €3300 on the other 33 spins. That’s €200 in net profit, or $5.26 per spin. In this situation, you have a 5.26% advantage over the casino.
The casino doesn’t find that a problem at all. Because when you bet on that lucky number, there are many other players who bet on other numbers. All in all, more is lost than won.
Are there specific strategies?
There are strategies where players make use of the phenomenon of lucky numbers. In this case, players always bet on whole numbers, so that maximum profit is achieved. Players look at which numbers have fallen multiple times in the past series. They choose that number to bet on.
Players often have a number of game rounds in mind with which they play this lucky number. But if another number falls more often, they switch to that new number. Players often reserve a certain amount of money to play this strategy. For example, one can reserve €400 and then bet €10 per game round on a single number. You then have 40 game rounds in which to bet correctly. The sooner the outcome is positive, the higher the profit.
Of course, this strategy also offers no guarantee.
In fact, the chance that your lucky number will not fall is smaller rather than greater. After all, there is no mathematical or statistical advantage in using this strategy. You persist in a certain choice and hope that this will be rewarded with a piece of luck. And certainly prevent that from happening. In the short term, this strategy can even lead to a nice profit. In the long run, however, it will prove to be a losing strategy.
Raise or lower your bet
Playing by lucky numbers is a different kind of strategy than most other strategies used. However, they do have one major similarity. Both types of strategies assume that past results, give insight into future results.
In the Martingale strategy, for example, you double your bet after each losing round. If you play red, then if you lose, you continue to double your bet and play on red. The idea here is that red should fall at least once. This does indeed work in many cases, but not always. You also come across series in which black is spun ten or fifteen times. In that case you suddenly lose a lot of money.
The same applies to the lucky numbers. Of course you will win once and thus keep your bankroll on the right level. But it will also go wrong. Casinos work with good materials and replace damaged roulette wheels. Every number on the American roulette therefore has a chance of winning 1 in 38.
That a number falls several times in a row is simply the logic of random numbers falling. If you look at the outcomes over a very long period of time, then all numbers will have fallen approximately the same number of times.
Summary
The truth about lucky numbers will disappoint many people. They simply do not exist. The fact that certain numbers fall more than others is simply linked to the principle of randomness.
The days when roulette wheels could be tampered with are far behind us. So my advice for playing roulette is very simple. Use a strategy that appeals to you. Whether that’s picking a lucky number or the Martingale strategy. Just don’t expect this strategy to produce capital gains in the long run.