Column Strategy
The typical roulette table is divided into many different parts and over the decades, roulette players have developed strategies based around these sections. One such approach is the Column Strategy, devised around the three-part division of the roulette table known as columns. There are, in fact, a number of strategies that include the columns, combining column bets with other bets such as Evens or Dozens, but the strategy outlined here focuses purely on the columns and how to make a profit from betting on them.
By Adiela de Bruyn - Last modified 2024/02/08 - Estimated reading time: 3 minutes.
Table of contents
Column Betting Basics
On a roulette table, there are three columns, each including twelve of the numbers between 1 and 36. So, for example, the first column will be made up of a sequence of numbers that runs: 1, 4, 7, 10 and so on, up to 34. The second column will start at 2 and run to 35, and the third column will begin at 3 and end at 36. So the three columns include all 36 numbers.
If you bet on a column, you are betting on any number in that column coming up on the wheel. All column bets are made at odds of 2/1 and offer a bigger profit than Odds/Evens or Red/Black bets. For example, if you were to bet R100 on Column One and one of the numbers from that column came up, you would win R200 for your bet.
How does the Column Strategy work?
The strategy itself is relatively straightforward to operate, but it can require a large betting bank and plenty of nerve! The first step is to make a small bet on the first column. If this bet loses, you are required to move to the second column and double your bet, and if that bet loses, move to the third column and double the bet again. Each time you lose, you double your bet, but when you win, you return to the size of the original bet.
For example, let’s say you started with an initial bet of R100 on the first column. If this bet loses, you would bet R200 on the second column. If this bet is also a loser, you would bet R400 on the third column, then R800 on the first column and so on until you win. Let’s say you ended up betting R1600 on the second column. If this bet wins, your next bet would be R100 on the third column. With the Column System you move along one column with each bet, doubling the size of your bet if you lose or returning to the original bet size if you win.
Advantages and Disadvantages
In theory, the Column Strategy will ensure that you make a profit with each session of play. Each time you lose, the level of your bets increases to cover the lost stake on the previous bet, and when you finally land a winning bet, you will have recouped your lost stakes and have made a profit. The cycle then begins again at the original stake.
Betting at odds of 2/1 each time make this potentially a more lucrative strategy than bets made on even-money outcomes such as Odds/Evens or Red/Black. But it is also a much more volatile strategy. It is possible to endure relatively long losing runs with this strategy. For example, if you started with a R100 bet, after a run of just five losing bets, you would be betting with R3200 on your sixth bet. With this strategy, you can quickly end up betting a sizeable part of your betting bank, which makes it more suitable for those with large bankrolls and the mental strength to continue to operate it after a sequence of losing bets.
Author and fact checker: Adiela de Bruyn
Expertise: Online casino reviews, player insights, and marketing strategies.
Experience: 10+ years. Former croupier, casino enthusiast, and contributor to South Africa's online gambling regulations.
