Dozens and columns roulette strategy guide, tips & tricks

When you watch or play roulette, you will see most people making 50/50 wagers like red or black, or odd or even. Conservative players will probably only place these bets, while more liberal gamblers will sprinkle their chips around the table and add a 50/50 bet in the hope of minimizing risk.

It’s these 50/50 wagers that most roulette betting systems are based upon. While it’s true they pay out 1:1 when they do hit, it is not strictly a 50/50 chance. On a standard European roulette table, like those you might find at BetAmerica Casino, it is a 36/37 chance since you also have the green zero segment in play.

While it is perhaps a good idea to begin your roulette gaming journey on 50/50 bets, you might soon want to become a little more adventurous. The next step would be taking dozens or columns bets.

What are dozens and columns in roulette?

There are 36 numbers on the roulette table (1-36) plus the green zero (and a double zero segment on American Roulette). When you sit down at a table, live or online, you can bet on one of three "dozens" segments, called 1st 12, 2nd 12, and 3rd 12. They cover 1-12, 13-24, and 25-36, respectively.

As you would expect, the dozens payout at 2:1, so if you bet $1 and won, you would get $3 back, including your original bet.

With precisely the same odds, you can also place column bets. The 36 roulette numbers are arranged across three columns and 12 rows. Each column contains 12 numbers, and you can place your bet beneath any of these three columns in the areas that say "2 to 1."

Roulette dozens strategy

The first thing to notice about playing dozens (and the same applies to any roulette column betting strategy) is that it is a higher risk bet than 50/50 bets like red or black.

If everything played out like clockwork, you would only win every one in three spins of the wheel – and add the problem of a zero landing, negating your bet.

So, by using the same betting strategy as you might for 50/50 bets, you are likely to lose quickly; you cannot possibly expect to win enough times to make any money.

You can, however, adapt the most common 50/50 strategies to make a solid roulette dozens system.

The best-known 50/50 strategy is the Martingale System. On 50/50 wagers, like red or black, you double your wager each time you lose until you win, and then you start back at one unit again.

However, you cannot afford to double your wager after each losing bet on dozens or columns betting because you lose more often. Instead, this is a recommended betting pattern to follow until you win again (where 1 is one betting unit, whatever your preferred starting wager):

1-2-3-4-6-9-13-20-30-45-67-100

If, as we all hope, you manage to win one of those rounds, you will regain any losses and have a small profit. However, you have likely seen the pitfall to this, and most other roulette dozens strategies. The sequence covers 12 spins of the roulette wheel, and it is entirely possible for you to lose 12 times in a row, meaning you have lost a total of 300 units!

You have two further problems at this point. Firstly, you might not be able to afford to carry on. Secondly, even if you could, some casino roulette tables have a limit to the size of your bet, and you might not be able to keep increasing by the amount required to follow the strategy.

Does roulette dozens strategy work?

If you could guarantee that you would win at least one of your 2:1 shot dozens or columns bets during every 12 spins, then, yes, you have found the winning roulette columns strategy. But, sadly, you cannot guarantee it. 

However, all is not lost. Firstly, it can undoubtedly be profitable over the short term. Like any form of random number behavior, anything can happen over one to, say, 100 spins of the wheel. But the more you play, the more the odds become realistic – and the house edge eats into any profit.

It’s also worth noting that playing at the casino is supposed to be a form of entertainment. There’s certainly a lot of fun to be had trying out the Martingale System or any betting system you might devise for dozens and columns. You can also try a two-column system, where you bet on two of the three columns each round.

Try a roulette dozens strategy for yourself

Nothing beats trying these things out to see if they work for you. Happily, you can do so for free at BetAmerica Casino, where you can try all the table games (and slots) with play money first. It’s a great way to experiment. Then, once you are confident in any given game or strategy, make your first deposit and experience the thrill of trying to win some real cash.