In many roulette strategies 0 and 00 are death numbers and instill fear in players. Not because they’re special but rather they are often ignored. People need to stop treating 0, 00 as special; they are numbers like any other.
Zero appears different to other numbers because it’s green and when wagering on outside bets Red/Black or Odd/Even the dreaded green square causes you to lose. Outside bets are popular on roulette because you can cover almost half the table with a single bet.
For all outside bets 0 & 00 will lose but when we talk about other numbers on the table both 0 & 00 are are numbers. The chances of the ball landing on 0 are the same as it falling on 27 or 36. I’ve heard friends say “always bet on 0” but I disagree. I never treat it as special and neither should you.
0 & 00 are technically even numbers
0 & 00 are considered even numbers in the world of mathematics. Casinos choose not to call it even in order to maintain their house edge.
An integer is even if dividing by two yields an integer.
Wikipedia
Roulette is totally random and in Probability Theory the Law Of Large Numbers suggests that over longer periods of time 0 will likely come up as many times as any other number. An example of the law of large numbers can be tested by flipping a coin. If you flip 10 times you should, given the 50/50 nature of it, get five heads and five tails. In reality you may get three of one and seven of the other. Flipping the same coin 100 times you’ll discover the 50/50 rule emerges.
Casinos rely on the law of large numbers and ignorance of 0
Casinos are very aware of probability and how it works in their favour. Like all games played there is an Expected Value casinos rely on to make money. On a single 0 table there is 2.7% expected value whereas on 00 tables the value is 5.26%.
Using the calculated expected value the casino can reasonably collect either $2.70 or $5.26 for every $100 you bet. You might not see that right away but consider your playing habits and how often you lose.
In addition casinos recognise many players will ignore the zeros. Newer players will play safe bets, which are generally outside bets, and when zero raises its ugly head they lose their money.
If you start treating zero the same as all others and ignore your fear of it you will likely improve your game play. It is not a death number!
Obviously if you only play outside bets, you should be terrified because it will come up and bite you where it hurts.
Happy Roulette Adventures everyone!
