Three-Two Roulette System

The three-two system has been 'discovered' by many different people independently because it appears so logical. Although it goes by many names, the theory is still the same. You either bet on red and the second column or black and the third column at a 3 to 2 ratio. This is to say that you will be making a three-unit bet on the color, and a two-unit bet on the correct column. This system lets you control the 18 pockets of one color, and 8 pockets of the opposite color, a total of 26 pockets which can result in a win, and only 12 pockets that do not.

This system is designed to cover your bets by betting on as much of the wheel as possible. In fact, over 70% of the wheel is covered by the 3-2 system. Unfortunately, the math does not back up this logic. Think about it like this: you are making two separate, independent bets, so we can look at these separately. Your red/black bet carries a 5.26% house edge; thus in the long term this bet will lose to the house. The column bet carries the same 5.26%, and will lose in the long run as well. The three-two system simply combines two losing bets, and allows human nature to rationalize the combination. Let's run the numbers to see how this works.

When sitting at a $10 minimum table, you could make a $15 bet on the color, and a $10 bet on the proper column. The expected value (long run average) of this system is in fact negative (10+15=25, 25 x .0526=1.315), you can expect to lose an average of $1.315 per spin at these betting levels.

Optimizing the System

The numbers above apply to your standard American wheel, but with some discretion you can find a better playing environment. The first step is finding a single-zero wheel. While these are most popular in Europe, they can be found in all of the major gambling cities in North America as well. This naturally cuts the house edge, right off the bat. The next best thing you can do is find a table that offers 'en prison'. This further makes the game safer by protecting some of your lost bets. If you can find a table that is both a single-zero wheel, and offers en prison, you can cut your expected losses to a mere $.48 per spin.

Winning In The Long Run

If casinos depend on one truism more than anything else, it is that they will always win in the long run. The statistics support it, and unless you are cheating, it can be difficult to even imagine winning out in the long run. There is however, one way to get beyond the limiting house edges in the long run. Comp points. By using the three-two system at a single pocket table with en prison and keeping your stakes low, you can get a whole day of gambling in without losing more than a couple of bucks. As long as you have a player's card, this whole time you will be earning points. When you get two free meals after a few hours of small-time gambling, you win in the long run. You might not leave a millionaire, but you can have a good time gambling and eat for free.