You may have heard of the James Bond roulette strategy before. The 007 secret agent has always been partial to gambling. You can see him gambling in Casino Royale (obviously), Diamonds are Forever, Octopussy, Goldeneye, The World is Not Enough, Dr No and Goldfinger.
But what is the James Bond Roulette strategy? Does it work, and can it give you an edge at the roulette table? Read on to find out all there is to know about this famous roulette tactic and find out if even better roulette strategies are available to increase your odds of winning.
What is the James Bond Roulette Strategy?
If you are familiar with the Martingale roulette strategy, then you’ll find it easy to understand James Bond’s version. Both are based on a progressive betting pattern, where the player increases the bet if they lose.
The primary difference between the Martingale system and the James Bond Roulette system is the number of bets you place on each spin of the wheel.
With the James Bond Roulette Strategy, you place 3 bets per spin compared to just one when playing Martingale.
James Bond Roulette Betting Structure
Before we go into further detail, the example provided below assumes that you will use the James Bond roulette strategy on a European table. European roulette tables have a single 0 and offer a lower house edge.
If you are playing with an American table, make sure you read our notes below on adapting the James bond roulette system for American roulette tables.
For each spin of the roulette wheel, you will place bets of 20 units, split into 3 individual bets.
Each unit can be any value you want, but you’re restricted to the minimum betting value for the table.
For example, let’s say that you want to bet $20 per spin. Each betting unit will have a value of $1.
If you’re a high roller and want to bet $200 per spin, each unit will have a value of $10.
It’s probably best to start more conservatively (and never bet more than you can afford to lose. So at $0.10 per unit, you would be spending $2 per spin.
The amount bet per spin is vital because you must double your bet size every time you lose (31.5% chance on European roulette tables).
The 3 Bets Placed For the James Bond Roulette System
Bet 1
19-36 – 14 Units ($14 at $1 stakes)
Chance of Winning – (European Roulette ) 48.64%
Bet 1 consists of placing 14 units on 19-36. This is known as an outside bet and returns 1/1.
If the ball lands on any number between 19 and 36 (inclusive), your stake is returned ($14) and you win your stake again. In this example, you win $14.
The total returned is $28 – total stake of $20 = $8 Profit
Bet 2
13-18 – 5 Units ($5 at $1 stakes)
Chance of Winning (European Roulette) – 16.22%
With bet 2, you’ll place 5 units (in this example $5) on the numbers 13-18. This bet is less likely to win, but the payout is greater at 5/1.
In this example, if the ball lands on any number between 13 and 18 (inclusive), you’ll win your stake back ($5) and a further $25 winnings.
Total returned is $30 – total stake of $20 = $10 profit
Bet 3
0 – 1 Unit ($1 at $1 stakes)
Chance of Winning (European Roulette) – 2.7%
For bet 3 you place 1 unit on 0 (for European roulette). In this example, it would be $1. This bet has the highest odds, so it has the least chance of winning, but the payout is the biggest at 35-1
If bet 3 wins, you’ll receive your stake back ($1) and a further $35 in winnings.
Total returned is $36 – total stake of $20 = $16 profit
Losing Bets for James Bond Roulette Strategy
Now that we’ve shown the 3 bets you place using the James Bond roulette system let’s look at when you lose.
By placing the 3 separate bets outlined above, you have a 67.56% chance of one of the numbers winning that are covered by one of your bets. There is a 32.44% chance that you won’t win on any given spin.
When you don’t win, you lose your entire stake or 20 units—sticking with the example used in our betting system, that would be $20.
What to do After a Losing Bet
You will use the Martingale strategy if you lose a bet while using the James Bond roulette betting system.
You double your stake every time you lose a bet. Using our example, instead of betting $1 per unit, you will raise it to $2 per unit until you win again.
If you lose once, your total stake will be $40, but lose again, and it becomes $80. Lose again, and it’s $160 and so on.
Hopefully, you can see that it doesn’t take too much of a losing streak for the losses to add up. If you lose 4 bets in a row, you’ll be sitting on a loss of $300, with each subsequent loss increasing exponentially, and that’s at only $1 initial stakes.
Adopting the Martingale system for your betting doesn’t change the odds, either. The house will still have the same edge, 2.6% for European roulette and 5.25% for American roulette using a double zero wheel.
Once you have won a bet, your stakes return to the original value. In this case, $1, and you carry on at those stakes until you lose again.
The benefit of adopting the Martingale system is that you increase the potential win value (in line with your stake) for each subsequent bet to recoup your losses. Just bear in mind that losses add up quickly.
Example of Results Using James Bond Roulette System
We’ve reviewed the 3 bets placed using the James Bond roulette strategy and the potential winning and losing scenarios.
Now it’s time to look at some possible fictitious results to see how your play might look when playing it for yourself.
The table below shows a simple set of 20 spins of the wheel with corresponding results with associated win values.
James Bond American Roulette Strategy
American and European roulette has one key difference. On an American roulette table, there is a 0 and a 00, whereas the European table has a single 0.
You should play European roulette whenever possible because the house edge is 2.6%.
With American roulette, the house edge rises to a mammoth 5.25%. For every $100 you wager (bet), you can expect the house to take $5.25.
If the casino where you are playing only offers the US version, you can adapt the James Bond strategy for American roulette.
To do this, place your $1 bet over the 0 and the 00.
If the ball lands on either 0 or 00, your return will be 16-1, so you will end up with a 3-unit loss or $3, but far better than a 20 unit loss if you hadn’t covered the 00.
This demonstrates why you should always use the James Bond Roulette strategy on a European roulette table. The house edge is far lower, and your losses will be less overall.
Did James Bond play Roulette?
James Bond is depicted as a gambler, and a successful one at that, in many of the 007 films. His love for poker, blackjack, baccarat, and craps is highly publicised.
What’s more, he always seems to leave the tables victorious. Being a secret agent, brimming with confidence and with luck on his side, Bond always seems to evade the house edge, grabs the chips and the girl before defeating an entourage of villains.
But there aren’t any scenes in the films of Bond playing roulette.
In Ian Flemming’s book Casino Royale, Bond took to the roulette table to try his luck. Perhaps this is where the James Bond roulette strategy came from.
However, in the film, the directors decided not to add the scene, so it’s left to the reader’s imagination to depict Bond winning stacks of chips at the roulette table.
Did James Bond Use his strategy in any of his films?
No, he did not use his strategy in any of his films, given that there aren’t any scenes of him playing roulette.
In fact, the origins of the James Bond Roulette system are a mystery.
In any case, the fact that the strategy does nothing to overcome the house edge means that Bond would need to rely on his good fortune to walk out of the casino as a winner.
Because Bond always has luck on his side, we doubt he needs a strategy to stack the chips and leave with a fortune.
What Were James Bond’s Favourite Casino Games?
Whilst roulette isn’t featured in Bond films, Bond is pictured gambling in plenty of occasions.
So what are Bond’s favourite casino games, and which films is he pictured playing them in?
Texas Holdem – Casino Royale
Even though the original novel depicted Bond playing roulette in Casino Royal, in the cinematic remake starring Daniel Craig, he’s pictured playing Texas Hold’em poker.
In perhaps one of the highest fictitious stakes poker the world has ever seen. Bond is playing for a prize pot of $115 million.
Of course, 007 wins the tournament, defeats the bad guys and wins the girl. But that’s all in a day’s work for the world’s most famous secret agent.
Chemin de Fer – Dr No
Chemin de Fer is an old-school version of baccarat. This is the first scene that makes Bond famous for gambling and shows his love for the casino. It’s one of the first times you’ll hear Bond utter the infamous line when asked his name “the name’s Bond, James Bond”.
Craps – Diamonds Are Forever
Bond had a penchant for dice games and cards. In Diamonds are Forever, Bond nonchalantly bets $65,000 and wins. He then proceeds to give Plenty o Toole $5000 to win her heart.
Baccarat – Goldeneye
Baccarat is back again in Goldeneye. This time Bond squares up against Russian agent Xenia Onatopp. As you’d expect, Bond wins against his arch-rival and proceeds to pocket the chips.
James Bond Roulette Strategy on Reddit
Roulette is a popular discussion topic on gambling subreddits, with members discussing various strategies in an attempt to beat the system.
A few members have created threads in an attempt to discuss the James Bond roulette strategy on Reddit. See here and here.
Sadly, engagement on these threads could be much better. It seems that Redditors either aren’t interested in the James Bond System or have nothing new to add.
James Bond Roulette Strategy Wiki
The James Bond roulette system doesn’t have its own Wikipedia page. Maybe because the strategy does nothing to overcome the house edge, it is ultimately a losing strategy.
That said, there are Wikipedia articles for the following topics that relate to roulette:
Does the James Bond Roulette Strategy Work?
If you’ve made it this far into the article, you’ll probably be aware that the James Bond roulette strategy doesn’t work.
If you adopt this betting system over the long term, you will lose money because the house still has the edge over the player.
Even if you place every bet as described in this guide, for every $100 that you wager, you can expect the house to win $2.60.
You should always enjoy roulette with the full knowledge you will lose over the long term.
You can still get lucky and win occasionally, and that’s where the real enjoyment comes.
As long as you play within your limits and don’t lose more than you can afford, you too can play roulette and have fun.
Some players prefer to place bets using a strategy like the James Bond System because it helps them stick to staking limits.
Just be aware that losses stack up quickly if you are trying to recoup your losses.
Is the James Bond Roulette Strategy the Best Option?
Only you can decide whether or not the James Bond roulette strategy is the best option.
It can provide structure to your staking and help you stick within your gambling limits, which can help enhance your enjoyment of the game.
Various mathematicians have devised other roulette betting strategies, and we’ll set out a few of these in the next section.
Be aware that virtually all roulette betting systems don’t do anything to increase your chances of winning.
What Are Other Roulette Betting Strategies?
There are various alternative roulette betting strategies that you can try if the James Bond Roulette system isn’t for you. These vary from the beautifully simple to the wildly complex.
Most roulette betting strategies revolve around staking systems that change depending on whether you win or lose on each spin.
We’ve highlighted some of the most popular below.
The D’Alembert strategy
The D’Alembert strategy has a straightforward structure that only works on even bets, such as red, black & odd, or even. Before you begin, choose a fixed amount of money to serve as a unit, such as $1. If you win, reduce your next bet by one unit; if you lose, increase your next bet by one unit.
Depending on which roulette variant you play, your chances of winning each bet are approximately 48%. In theory, this strategy could roughly even out your bets over time. Remember that roulette is still a game of chance, and this strategy is helpful for bankroll management.
The Martingale System
The Martingale system is a betting strategy that focuses on recouping losses. The idea is to double your wager after each losing roulette spin.
In theory, if you win again, you’ll recoup your losses and make a small profit.
The most effective way to use the Martingale system in roulette is to focus on even money outside bets. Red, black, odd, even, 1-18, and 19-36 bets all have odds of 1:1 and are the safest bets in roulette. However, there is still some risk involved.
The main disadvantage of the Martingale is that your bet will quickly double if you go on a losing streak. Even with even-money bets, you risk depleting your bankroll before recovering your winnings. Furthermore, you may bet a lot but only make a small profit.
The Paroli System
The Martingale strategy is reversed in the Paroli system. If you lose a round, your stake remains the same. If you win, you double your stake – a strategy known as ‘positive progression staking.’
The overall goal of Paroli is to double your stake after three consecutive winning spins. When that happens, you return to your starting stake.
The Labouchere System
Step 1
Determine How Much You Want To Win First, decide how much you want to win. Make this a reasonable figure, and divide it into smaller, random numbers. For instance, our $10 target could become 1, 3, 4, 1, 1.
Step 2 Take the two numbers that are furthest left and right in the series and add them together. This example’s equivalents are 1 and 1. Combine them to create your initial $2 wager.
Step 3
Place your wager Place a $3 stake on a single bet such as red, black, odd, even, 1-18, or 19-36.
Step 4: If you succeed, remove the numbers from your sequence that are the furthest left and right. There would be 3, 4, 1, remaining. Repeat the second process to get 3 and 1, at which point you will place another $4 wager.
If you lose, leave all of the numbers uncrossed and move the $4 wager to the very right of your sequence. Now, you should have 1, 4, 1, and 3. Repeat step 2, and your bet will be $5.
Step 5: Continue until your sequence has been cleared and you have achieved your objective number. Never chase your losses if you lose a lot of money, and know when to stop. Similarly, quit after the first setback to keep your earnings if you’re on a winning streak.
James Bond Roulette Strategy Pictures
They say a picture tells a thousand words, so you can see all the James Bond Strategy Pictures included in this article.
Hopefully this helps solidify the concept in your mind so that when you approach the table next time, you can implement the system perfectly.
Remember that even though you’ve read the article and looked at the pictures, the James Bond Roulette system won’t overcome the house edge, and you will lose money adopting this strategy over the long term.
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