When you think of roulette games, the most common strategy that comes to mind involves the red/black bets. In contrast, the roulette dozens strategy uses the dozens and/or columns bets, but what are they and how does this strategy work? Let’s take a closer look to find out.
Remember, gambling strategies are fun to try, but the house will always have the edge and the outcomes are always entirely down to luck. Never try to recover your losses by gambling more.
What are the Dozens and Columns bets?
According to the basic rules of roulette, there are two types of bets that each encompass (roughly) a third of the numbers on the roulette wheel. These are the dozens and columns bets:
The Dozens Bet
A dozens bet is one of three sets of 12 numbers. Represented by 1st 12, 2nd 12, and 3rd 12, these bets are located directly above the 1 to 18 and Even, Red and Black, and Odd and 19 to 36 bets, respectively. The 1st of 12 dozen bet covers the numbers 1 to 12, the 2nd 12 covers 13 to 24, and the 3rd 12 covers 25 to 36. Notice zero is not included. This bet pays out at 2/1.
The Columns Bet
A columns bet is also one of three sets of 12 numbers, this time in a line running from the zero (or double zero) instead of a group. The betting areas for these bets are located on the opposite side of the table to the zero and usually contain the payout odds (2/1). The zero is not included in this bet either.
In this roulette betting strategy dozens and columns can be used interchangeably as they both involve 12 numbers and they both pay at 2/1. Let’s see how these two strategies work.
Single Dozen Strategy
As the name suggests, the bet involved here is the single dozen/column bet. That means you can pick any one of the three of each type to bet on. The basic principle involves placing a set amount on the bet and if it wins, you’re up. However, if it doesn’t, you follow a basic number sequence to determine what your next bet amount should be. Here’s the first few numbers in that sequence:
1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 14, 21, 31, 47, 70…
As an example, if you start with a stake of £1 and your dozen/column bet loses, your next bet should be £1 again. If that loses too, your next bet should be £2. Lose again and the sequence calls for the next bet to be £3… and so on.
The idea here is that because the dozen/column bets pay 2/1, a win will put you in profit, with the Martingale system based betting sequence after a loss aimed at recouping those losses.
Double Dozen Strategy
As you might have guessed, the double dozen strategy involves betting on two dozens or columns at once. In a similar manner to the single dozen strategy, this roulette 2 dozens strategy calls for increased bets after losses in the order of 3x. So the sequence looks like this:
1, 3, 9, 27, 81…
For example, with a starting stake of £1, if you lose, your next bet should be £3. Lose that and this double dozen roulette strategy calls for a £9 stake next. Lose that and you’re up to a £27 stake… and so on.
The basic idea behind this roulette dozens strategy is to cover more numbers compared to the single dozen strategy for an increased chance of hitting a win. The steeper exponential slope of the betting sequence after a loss again aims to recoup those losses.
The Major Flaw in the Dozens Roulette Strategy
You might have already spotted the major problem with both of these roulette dozens systems, one more so than the other: the potential for some pretty big and spiralling losses! In the single dozen system, your stake goes from £1 to £4 after four losses in a row totalling £7, while in the double dozens roulette system, your stake’s up to a whopping £81 after four losses in a row totalling an eye-watering £40 – ouch! While ‘upgrading’ to the double dozens over the single dozens strategy takes your chances of hitting a win from roughly a third to about two thirds, that level of potential losses is not worth it!
Have Fun Experimenting with the Dozens Roulette Systems
If you’re keen to try this roulette dozens strategy, I strongly suggest doing so in demo mode. It will then become quite obvious that the most common trend with this strategy is downwards! While they can never remove the house edge, gambling strategies can be fun to try, so give this one a go and see how you get on.
Remember that the house will always have the edge and the outcomes are always entirely down to luck. Never try to recover your losses by gambling more.
FAQs
The dozen or column roulette strategy involves one of the three dozens bets or three columns bets, which cover the numbers 1 to 36 in two different ways. The strategy calls for a set stake on one (single) or two (double) of the bets, which you then increase if the bet loses.
Your chances of winning a dozen or column bet in roulette is roughly 1 in 3. If your bet wins, you’ll get a payout of 2/1.
In reality, there is no ‘best’ roulette strategy because no strategy can remove the house edge. Roulette systems like this dozens one are fun to try though! So are our winning roulette tips.
Both the single dozen and double dozen roulette systems have their pros and cons. The single dozen strategy only covers a third of the table, but the stakes required after subsequent losses don’t rise quite as quickly as for the double dozen strategy. However, with the double dozen system, you’re covering 24 numbers instead of 12, so you’re more likely to trigger a win.
