Online roulette is one of the simplest casino games to learn and play.

All roulette games play the same way: place your chips on the numbered areas of the table and wait for the roulette wheel to spin. If your number comes up, you win.

Could covering all betting options when playing online roulette be the way to ensure a win, or will you be left counting your losses?

With the Cover the Table betting system, players hedge their bets against a losing spin by covering more wagers. Let's take a closer look.

How the Cover the Table system works 

In roulette online, you have a variety of betting options, each paying out different odds.

Single numbers offer a best payout of 35/1. The more numbers you play, the lower the odds. Betting on red or black, for example, covers more numbers but only pays 1/1.

Some roulette betting systems require the player to stick to even-money bets only.

The Cover the Table system is different. With this plan, you cover as many numbers as possible to increase the chances of a win.

There are several ways to cover the table, but the same rule applies to all options: not all of the numbers are covered. You risk a lot of money to win a tiny profit.

Bet 35 numbers 

Unit stake: £1

Total stake: £35

Numbers covered: 35

Potential profit: £1

This is the easiest way to cover all bases. Pick 35 numbers and place a unit stake on each one. If one number comes in, you win £35 plus your original stake. However, if you lose, you lose £35.

Bet 11 streets

Unit stake: £1

Total stake: £11

Numbers covered: 33

Potential profit: £1

The street is made up of three horizontal numbers. There are 12 streets in all. Covering 11 streets means you are betting on 33 numbers, but three numbers - including the zero - will give you a loss. A street pays £11, so a win will return £1 profit.

Bet 17 splits 

Unit stake: £1

Total stake: £17

Numbers covered: 34

Potential profit: £1

A split is a bet on two adjoining numbers, and it pays 17/1. There are 18 splits in total, but this bet requires betting just 17 of them. Two numbers will miss out, and if one of those appear your bet will lose.

Bet 5 double streets 

Unit stake: £1

Total stake: £5

Numbers covered: 30

Potential profit: £1

A double street, or 'six line', is a bet on six numbers at once. There are six possible double streets, but this bet requires you pick just five of them - 30 numbers in total. A winning bet returns £1 profit, but you will lose if you hit the other two double streets, or the zero. 

Bet 1-18 and third dozen 

Unit stake: £1

Total stake: £5

Numbers covered: 30

Potential profit: £1

If you prefer the outside wagers, the 1-18 and third dozen plan can be a good one for hedging your bets. You bet £3 on the 1-18 area and £2 on the third dozen. Both areas pay 1/1. Hitting either bet returns £1. Again, you are ignoring six numbers on the table, and the bet loses if the zero appears.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Cover the Table system 

There are several betting systems that help the player cover as many numbers as possible. But, like the Cover the Table system, there is an inherent problem: the house edge is always stacked against the player.

The green zero in European Roulette (and 00 slot in American Roulette) is an independent number that can't be covered with this system. If a zero lands, it will scupper any outside bets, street bets, or split bets that appear.

And the payouts in roulette don't quite match the numbers. In European Roulette, there are 37 numbered slots. But a single number will only pay 35/1. Over the long term, the player is losing.

The Cover the Table system also doesn't take into account any downswings. There is a profit of just £1 on each of the available bets, but the risk can be up to £35.

What happens if you hit a long run of losing bets? You could be in the hole by hundreds of pounds before you start seeing modest returns. 

Trying the Cover Table System 

Online roulette is a game where the odds are always stacked against the player. However, by covering your betting options, you can give yourself a better chance of earning long-term profits.