The Definitive Guide to High Stakes Roulette

Roulette already holds the status of being one of the most popular and widely played gambling games, both online and in the land-based world. It has another reputation that you may not be familiar with, though. It’s one of the most popular high-roller options. High-stakes roulette isn’t for the faint-hearted, but with enough practice and smart bankroll management, playing high-stakes roulette online can be a reality for you, too.

Join us as we reveal everything you need to know about playing roulette with big bets, understanding strategies and where to find online casinos offering these games in our definitive high-stakes roulette guide.

What Is a High-Stakes Roulette Player?

As you might imagine, a high-stakes roulette player is someone who bets lavishly on the roulette wheel. Which wheel, the exact amount, and how they bet aren’t relevant for this status. The only real common denominator is that high-stakes players drop roulette bets that are considerably more than the average player can afford, and they’ll often do so at tables with special high limits. High-rolling roulette players can be found both online, and in the land-based gambling scene. 

What Is a Traditional High-Rolling Roulette Player?

Most traditional high-stakes roulette players frequent the world’s most famous and glamorous casinos and resorts. These land-based whales generally have balances in excess of $1,000,000 that they can bring to the table, and amazingly, over 80% of them come from Asia, frequently popular establishments in Macau, Las Vegas, and the French Riviera, with Monte Carlo naturally a major lure. 

These high rollers are often celebrities or professional gamblers. Oftentimes, their name and status precede them, with fame giving them instant access to high-limits tables. Just a few of the celebrities who’ve been known to spin the wheel with sizable stakes include Tobey Maguire, Harry Styles, Paris Hilton and Matt Damon. Of course, where there’s one, there’s the other, so you can add Ben Affleck to that list, too. Celebrities such as these can afford to bring immense bankrolls to the table, often get to play on credit, and will have fully comped packages laid out for them with all the trimmings.

High Rollers at Online Casinos

Of course, not everybody can be a celebrity. You don’t necessarily have to be to play high-stakes roulette. Online high-stakes casinos make playing high roller roulette games more affordable for the average Joe. In fact, they may also be home to a plethora of celebs who don’t want to announce that they love a spin on the roulette wheel to the world.

The average player can’t just walk into the Bellagio like they own the joint and expect VIP treatment. As such, many start out playing online. They’ll earn high roller and VIP privileges as they play. Playing online high-stakes roulette is a more accessible way to build a reputation and bankroll. It’s this type of online action that we’ll mostly focus on in this guide.

The Benefits of High-Stakes Roulette Explained

There are benefits to playing high-stakes roulette. Otherwise, high rollers wouldn’t do it. Of course, we’re not just talking about walking away with a pretty prize. After all, Straight Up roulette prizes are paid out at the same rate (35:1), no matter how much you bet. Some benefits are reserved for land-based spinners, but playing high-stakes roulette online also has its own upsides. Let’s talk about some of those benefits next.

• Comped Packages: Playing high-stakes roulette in brick-and-mortar venues will often see you qualify for comped packages. These include free food, drinks, valet parking, and accommodation. This is something that is, rather obviously, somewhat absent from online roulette action.
• Higher Table Limits: Whether you play online or in land-based casinos, high-stakes players are typically invited to play with higher table limits on dedicated tables. These tables may be off-limits to all but the highest-ranking VIP players.
• Personal Limits: Both land-based and online casinos may raise the table limits (and, in the casino of online casinos, the deposit limits) specifically for you. In brick-and-mortar casinos, they may even allow wealthy and famous high rollers to play on credit. The casinos know they’re good for it.
• Promo Packages: This one is mainly for online casinos. Online roulette players can often snap up promo packages. These may boost your balance when depositing, reward you with bonus prizes for achieving specific things or winning on certain bets, or anything in between. Both land-based and online casinos may offer VIP and loyalty rewards for roulette players, though.
• Access to Exclusive Games: There may be a backroom that’s off-limits for regular roulette players. Online, you may be invited to play at exclusive time-limited tables that only VIPs can join. You may be welcomed into high-stakes roulette tournaments, depending on where you play.

High Stakes Roulette Games to Consider

Now that we’ve touched on what it takes to play high-stakes roulette, let’s cover the games. While there are all sorts of high-limit tables, most are based on the three main variants. Here’s a brief rundown of each:

• American Roulette: Because it features two zero pockets, American Roulette has a house edge of 5.26%. It offers a Basket Bet that’s only possible in this game. It is the game of choice in many land-based casinos for obvious reasons.
• European Roulette: Featuring a single zero pocket, European Roulette’s house edge is half that of American Roulette, at 2.70%. It also supports a racetrack, which gives you different ways to “cover the wheel”. We’ll talk more about that a little later.
• French Roulette: Visually, the game is identical to European Roulette. However, the lowest house edge is found in French Roulette (1.35%) because it has either the La Prison or La Partage rules woven in. These either return half your stake outright or keep half of it in play for your next bet.

It’s important to note that each software provider will likely have conventional roulette tables based on some or all three of these variants. They may also have high-roller games. These may go by names such as “Salon Privé”, “VIP”, “Gold Series”, “High Stakes”, “Diamond”, “Platinum”, “High Roller”, “Premium”, or any other similar-sounding term.

How to Become A Roulette High-Roller

Becoming a high-stakes roulette player isn’t something you should decide lightly. You may be tasked with maintaining your status by regularly betting big sums. Moreover, it’s not recommended for anyone who doesn’t have plenty of disposable income to lose. When should you play roulette at high-stakes casinos, and what do you need to do to become a high roller?

In the land-based casino world, your fame and name are enough to get you a seat at the table. Online, you’ll often need to prove yourself and your balance and earn your reputation before the casino starts treating you like a king (or queen). If you have a healthy balance that you can afford to lose, some casinos will provide you with high roller status as soon as you sign up and make your first deposit. They may even have a high rollers welcome bonus up for grabs.

Most casinos don’t do that, though. Instead, they’ll expect you to climb their loyalty ladder and earn your VIP status by depositing and playing over time. Some of the uppermost tiers may be invitation only, so betting regularly is a must if you want to hit these heights. As mentioned, you may be required to maintain your status online, something you won’t need to do in land-based casinos that know you.

A Word on Roulette Strategies

Now you know what it takes to be a high roller, and you know the types of games you can play. Next, we’ll look at high-stakes roulette strategies. Before that, though, a public service announcement of sorts. There is no guaranteed way to win at roulette. We’re sorry to burst your bubble, but it must be said. Roulette, as we’re sure you are aware, is a game of chance, and that’s the thrill of it. However, while no roulette strategy can ever guarantee wins, they certainly aren’t useless, as we’ll explain next.

Firstly, we should explain that there are two main types of roulette strategies – betting systems and combination bets.

• Betting Systems: Betting systems are ways to ensure a profit over time. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Betting strategies involve wagering the same way each time, adjusting your stake to guarantee that when you win, you’ll make your money back with a small profit. The most famous of these is the Martingale. However, they come fraught with risk, too, as we’ll explain in the next section.
• Combination Bets: Combination bets don’t take into consideration how much you bet but what you bet on. These involve wagering on specific combinations of numbers to “cover the wheel” and give yourself as many ways as possible to win. Again, there are no guarantees, but your chances of success are certainly improved.

The Top 5 Most Popular Roulette Strategies for High Stakes Gameplay

The first type of strategy we’ll look at is betting systems. You’ve typically got two main types of high-stakes roulette betting strategies to consider, and they work quite differently, each bringing its own risk level to the table.

• Progression Betting Systems: Progressive betting systems will see you increase your stake based on what happens in each round. Negative progression systems see you increase your stakes when you lose and lower them when you win, with the basic idea that you’ll eventually recoup your losses and make a profit. However, because you’re increasing your stakes each time you lose, sustained losing streaks can wipe out your bankroll rather quickly.

By contrast, positive progression systems see you increase your bet when you win and lower it when you lose. This sees you alleviate the risk of bankrupting early due to successive losing streaks, but winning streaks aren’t always worth it as they would be with positive progression systems.

• Non-Progressive Betting Systems: Non-progressive betting systems are the opposite of the strategy we’ve already discussed. In short, your stake remains the same every time you bet. You do not adjust it whether you win or lose. While this is ideal if you want to limit your bankroll or bets, it isn’t generally favoured amongst high rollers, as winning won’t necessarily recoup your losses.

Most of the world’s top five most popular roulette strategies for high-stakes gameplay involve progression betting, but there are exceptions. Next, we’ll explain five betting systems for beginners.

#1 The Martingale

The Martingale is the most famous roulette strategy. It is a progressive betting system focusing on negative progression. It’s famous because it is simple to learn, with players doubling their bets following losses and reducing them when winning. The idea is that by the time you win, you should recoup your losses. It’s hugely risky if you go on losing streaks, so the chances of bankrupting early are high.

The Grand Martingale is a negative progression variant of this, only even more volatile. It involves doubling during losses and adding one more bet on top. The chances of bankruptcy with this strategy are extremely high, but the payouts are magnified on wins.

Key Thing to Note: The Martingale is easy to learn, so it’s a favourite with beginners. The original and Grand Martingale strategies are fraught with risk if you go on losing streaks. The Reverse Martingale is safer, and we’ll touch on that in a moment.

#2 D’Alembert

The D’Alembert system is a negative progression, progressive betting system. High-rolling roulette players bet on even-money options with this system. First, you choose your initial stake and then decide how much a “unit” is worth. When losing, you increase your previous bet by one unit. When winning, you decrease it by one.

For instance, if you decide to bet $100, and you decide your unit is $10, if you lose, your next bet would be $110 (your previous bet plus one unit). If you lose again, it’d be $120. If you win, it drops back to $110, and so on.

Key Thing to Note: The D’Alembert system is handy for short sessions. The longer you play, the greater the probability that you’ll lose, especially when playing high-stakes roulette games with high house edges. Just remember not to deviate from even money stakes.

#3 Fibonacci

The only strategy here to feature a numerical sequence, the progressive, negative progression Fibonacci system dictates that your next bet should be constructed by adding the previous two numbers in the sequence. Don’t worry; it’s not as confusing as it sounds.

Ignoring the zero (which doesn’t feature here), the Fibonacci Sequence looks like so:

• 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377

For your first bet, you wager 0+1 = 1 unit. If you lose, your next bet is formed by the next two numbers in the sequence, so your second bet would be 1+1 = 2 units. If you lose again, it becomes 1+2 = 3 units, and so forth. If you win, you move back two steps in the sequences. So, for instance, if you wagered 1+2 = 3 units and then won, your next bet would be 0+1 = 1 unit again. 

Key Thing to Note: The only thing you really need to remember here is the sequence and how to construct bets based on the previous two numbers in the sequence after moving right or left. It’s far easier than it sounds, but being a negative progression system, you are open to the risk of bankruptcy if you go on losing streaks.

#4 Paroli (Reverse Martingale)

Also known as the Reverse Martingale, the Paroli system is the only progressive, positive progression strategy in our list. You’ll use this system in essentially the opposite way you might use the Martingale. For instance, you’ll double your bet when you win until you win three times in succession – then you’ll reset to whatever unit sum you choose. You always drop it to the unit sum following losses.

For instance, if you choose a unit figure of $100 and you win three times in a row, your betting history would be $100, $200, and $400. Your fourth bet would then revert back to $100. Similarly, every time you lose, you’d reset to the $100 unit stake.

The Reverse Martingale, or Paroli, is arguably a better system than most others here. Because you double when you win (up to three times) and drop the size of your bet when you lose. This staves off the risk of bankrupting when on losing streaks and can yield epic wins if you go on winning streaks.

Key Thing to Note: The trick is to remember to drop your bet when you win for the third time in a row. It’s tempting to keep doubling, but you’ll risk losing everything if you eventually lose. We reckon this strategy is probably the way to go for first-time high-stakes roulette fans, as it’s easy to learn and, by and large, less risky than the others featured here.

#5 Labouchère (Split Martingale)

Sometimes referred to as a Split Martingale, the Labouchère system works in a very different way to the others on our list. It begins with writing down what you want to win, and then you’ll make a list of numbers that add up to that figure. Every new bet you make should equate to the sum of the first and last numbers in the sequence. If you win, the last two numbers should be removed from the sequence. If you lose, you add whatever you’ve lost to the rightmost end of the list. Let’s show you how it works.

Let’s say that you want to win $10,000; you will begin by dividing it into smaller sums. So, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, as in $1,000, $2,000, $3,000, $4,000 = $10,000. Your Labouchère list should be 1, 2, 3, 4. To begin with, you wager $5,000 (the two figures on the ends of the list, or 1 + 4).

• If you were to win this stake, you’d cross off 1 and 4 from the list, and your next bet would be $5K (2 + 3), as they are the next two numbers in the sequence.
• If you were to lose your first bet, then instead of crossing off 1 and 4 from the list, you’d add the amount you lost ($5,000) to the rightmost part of the sequence. Your list would now look like so: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Your subsequent bet would then be $6,000, as you’d wager 1 + 5, and so on.

The basic idea is that by the time you cross off all the numbers in the sequence and have an empty list, you should have won whatever amount you originally set out to win. This progressive betting system is effectively a negative progression system, as you’re increasing your stakes after losses. This does, of course, mean that you run the risk of bankrupting early if you go on a losing streak.

Key Thing to Note: While it initially looks challenging and tricky to understand, the Labouchère strategy is surprisingly simple. If you go on a winning streak, you’ll clear the list early, bagging whatever prize you want. Of course, losing streaks, as is always the case with negative progression systems, will end your fun early on unless you have a huge high-rolling balance.

Combination Betting in Roulette

Combination bets will see high rollers place multiple bets on a variety of numbers. Doing so increases your chances of winning at the cost of a larger stake. Simple bets outside bets such as Reds, Blacks, Odds, Evens, Highs, Lows, Dozens and Columns are combo bets, but so, too, are inside bets such as Splits and Corners. The downside to these is that they don’t pay out the kind of returns high-stakes players want to see. 

Fortunately, there are other, more advanced types of combination bets to consider, and these involve “covering the wheel”. In short, you’ll place a series of bets to cover as many numbers as possible. This is what most big spenders go for when playing high-stakes roulette online, so let’s introduce you to them.

• Covering the Wheel: This bet involves thirty-five Straight Up bets. When you win (which you will if you avoid the zero or zeros), you’ll win 35:1 plus your stake. If you lose, though, it’ll be a heavy loss.
• Tiers du Cylindre: also called “Third of the Wheel” or “Tiers”, this is a stake on twelve numbers, giving you a 32.43% chance of success. In short, you’re placing six Splits on 5/8, 10/11, 13/16, 23/24, 27/30 and 30/36.
• Voisins du Zéro: The Neighbours of Zero bet involves covering seventeen numbers, including the zero. The bet consists of two units on 0, 2 and 3, one unit on five splits (4/7, 12/15, 18/21, 19/22, 32/35), and two units on the 25, 26, 28 and 29 Corner Bet. Your odds of success are 45.95% with this bet.
• Orphelins: Known as Orphans, this bet covers eight numbers. It involves betting a single unit on 1 and single units on four splits, namely 6/9, 14/17, 17/20 and 31/34. Your chances of success are raised to 21.62% with this combo bet.
• Neighbours: Of course, you don’t have to take the Voisins du Zéro bet if you don’t want to. You can always choose your own neighbour bets. This is done using the racetrack (beside the main betting board). 
• James Bond: With this system, you’re effectively covering 25 out of 37 numbers. The bet features one unit on zero, five units on the double/street (13-18), and fourteen units on 19-36. It’s a scalable option but high risk since numbers 1-12 aren’t covered. You need a particularly sizable bankroll to pull off this strategy.

Combination bets can be used in place of betting systems or alongside them. Just remember that if you use betting systems with your combo bets, you must stick to the rules of the betting system you choose. That increases the level of risk involved. We encourage you to test any strategies you ultimately devise in free roulette games first before risking your bankroll.

Choosing a High-Roller Roulette Strategy

As you’ve seen, there are many different ways to go, both in terms of betting systems and combination bets. How do you choose the ideal high-stakes roulette strategy, though? As it happens, it’s rather simple. It all hinges on asking yourself three key questions:

• How big is your budget? The betting system you choose should match your budget. Players with large budgets may choose progressive betting systems and opt to cover more numbers in each bet. Those with smaller budgets or who are naturally more risk averse may prefer non-progressive betting systems and may even opt for outside bets rather than attempting to cover the wheel.
• Do you want to place combo bets? If combination bets and covering the wheel are important to you, you’ll need to break down your bankroll to ensure that you partition it for each bet. This must then be maintained according to the rules of your betting system. This is something you’ll need to consider ahead of time when first choosing a suitable high-roller roulette strategy.
• Are you playing to win a fortune or for fun? If you’re playing for fun, then you can afford to relax and focus on roulette gameplay without paying too much attention to which strategy you choose. Non-progressive systems and even money bets will yield small returns but returns nonetheless. If you want to win a fortune, you’ll need to opt for more aggressive and risky strategies, potentially jeopardising more of your bankroll. That’s the only way to land immense wins in roulette.

Our Tips for Playing High-Stakes Roulette Online

You’re about ready to start playing high-stakes roulette for real money. Before you do, though, let’s quickly cover some of our top tips for playing roulette at high-stakes casinos. Our team has years of collective experience spinning that magical wheel (both with low and high-roller stakes), and we’ve learned a thing or two in our time, such as:

• Always prepare to lose your bankroll, and make sure you’re comfortable with that. Only play with money you can afford to burn. Even so, make a bankroll and partition it so you don’t needlessly blast your wad.
• We’re partial to European and French Roulette. While we enjoy a good Basket Bet, the lower house edge makes sense for all high-rolling roulette players, no matter their aim or bankroll.
• Know your odds before playing. Understanding the probability of each bet and what you’ll get if you land it. This will help you make smarter choices when betting.
• Practice for free online. Most casinos, even high-stakes roulette sites, support free-to-play demos of their games. The exceptions, of course, are live casino games. By playing games for free, you can practice high-stakes roulette strategies and hone your skills before risking your balance.
• Experiment with combo bets in these free-to-play games. Make notes on how often they come good and what sort of results you get. This will help you finetune your strategy before playing for real money.
• Take advantage of bonuses for VIPs and high rollers if your casino offers them. There are benefits to being a high roller other than just having more cash to splash. As long as the bonus T&Cs associated with offers are fair and reasonable, then they’re well worth exploring. This is especially true if you’ve got cash to spend but wouldn’t mind boosting your bankroll via a bonus. Just remember that wagering requirements must be low if you want to quickly clear them and withdraw your winnings. You’ll also want to avoid maximum bet, win and withdrawal caps, and bonuses that aren’t eligible for the high-stakes roulette games you want to play.

Playing High Stakes Roulette at Online Casinos

Once you’ve decided to have a crack at high-stakes roulette, getting started is just a matter of completing a few steps. First, before you do anything else, decide on your bankroll. Remember, you should be comfortable losing it all – it can happen. Secondly, find somewhere to play. You’ll find a top selection of certified high-stakes casinos right here on this page, each of which has been approved by our team.

With those steps complete, it’s time to sign up and make your first deposit. If your high-stakes roulette casino has a high-roller program that’s open from the start, be sure to deposit the necessary amount to gain access to it. If it offers high-stakes action to VIPs through its loyalty scheme, then you’ll need to deposit and bet regularly until you reach a high enough tier to qualify.

It’s worth noting that neither option is available on some sites. Instead, they’ll simply support specific high-stakes roulette tables that are open to anyone with a balance to match. While this is an appealing option, it may mean that you miss out on high-roller perks and rewards. This is something you’ll want to consider before committing to playing high-stakes roulette online.

FAQs

Is it possible to win every time you play high-stakes roulette?

No. There’s no such thing as a guaranteed strategy for winning when playing high-stakes roulette online or offline. In fact, there are no guaranteed winning strategies for any casino games – ever.

How big does my bankroll need to be to play high-stakes roulette?

That depends on the tables you want to join. Some sites consider $100 a bet to be high-rolling stakes. Others say ten grand, and at some, the limit is a lot higher. We’d say (off the top of our heads) that a budget of $10,000 is the starting point, but it’s really down to the casinos to answer this particular question. 

Can I become a high-roller as soon as I join an online casino?

Again, this is something that’s going to depend on where you play. In some casinos, high roller packages are immediately available, and in others, you’ll have to work for them by depositing and betting.

What’s the most I can win playing high-stakes roulette?

The most you can win is 35:1 on a Straight-Up bet. However, some live casino games support payouts of 500:1 courtesy of multipliers. There aren’t many of those titles that support high-stakes gameplay, though.

What is the Reverse Martingale strategy?

It’s also called the Paroli. The Reverse Martingale flips the Martingale on its head, turning it into a positive progression system. In short, you’ll double your bets on winning and lower them on winning. You stand a much-reduced chance of bankrupting during losing streaks with this option.

Do live roulette games offer high limits gameplay?

Some live roulette games offer high limits gameplay via dedicated tables. Again, it depends on the software provider and the casino you’re talking about. Is it possible, though? Absolutely. 

Do all online casinos offer high-stakes roulette or high-roller bonuses?

No. Some online casinos don’t have high roller status, VIP tiers or bonuses. They may still offer high-stakes roulette tables, though. Then again, some sites don’t. The good news for you is that all the casinos listed on this page support high-stakes roulette betting.