James Bond’s Two Dozen Roulette Betting System

Have you ever heard of the “Two Dozen” bet? Though Agent James Bond was a fan of roulette casino games in the 007 films, the Two Dozen bet was Bond’s preferred betting system in Ian Flemming’s famous secret agent books. The system is a bit complex but it’s worth giving it a try, regardless of whether you are playing at the online casino or at a land-based casino.

Of course regardless of whether the suave and debonair spy was successful in his two dozen roulette betting system, it’s important to remember, when you play the game, that there’s no system that’s perfect and that the player is always at a disadvantage when competing at a game like roulette that favors the house.

However, if you want to try your hand at a different kind of wagering technique and see whether you can make it work for you, give it a go!

How the Two Dozen Bet Works Best

The Two Dozen betting system involves a higher degree of risk while giving you a way of improving your chances of winning.   The odds on a Two Dozen bet are 1 to 1, or even money.  So you don’t win a huge amount of money – at most, you win the amount that you bet. If, however, you like to play your game slow and steady, the Two Dozens Bet may be the right betting strategy for you.

The Two Dozens bet relies on flat betting. Flat Betting refers to the type of wager in which the player bets the same amount on every spin. On each spin you, the player, place the following three bets: $14 on 19 – 36, $5 on the 13 – 14 – 15 – 16 – 17 – 18 Line bet, and $1 on 0. So, the total wager on each spin will be $20.

This bet covers 25 numbers while leaving 12 numbers on which the player would lose.  As a result, there are only four possible outcomes from a spin:

• The ball lands on any numbered pocket between 19 and 36 and wins the player $8
• The ball lands on the 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 or 18 pocket which wins the player $10
• The ball lands on the 0 pocket so the player wins $16
• The ball lands on a pocket numbered 1 – 12, in which case the player loses $20

This strategy won’t cover the odds that are built into the game. Let’s say that you were to play 37 rounds – if each of the 37 numbers hit once then the result would be:

• The 0 bet would win $16 with 1 spin
• The line bet would win $50 on 6 spins
• The 19 – 36 bet, with 18 spins would win $144
• 12 spins would lose $20 when 1 – 12 hit

Why Should You Try?

The two main types of Roulette are American Roulette and European Roulette. The main differences between these two roulette types are

1. There is one zero pocket in European roulette and an extra double zero pocket in American roulette
2. In European Roulette, there are some “off board” bets

Now, there’s a new style of roulette which is mainly featured in land-based casinos. In this style, called Sands Roulette, there’s an extra (green-shaded) “S” slot on the wheel.  This 39th slot increases the house edge over the (American) double zero game.

Unless the casino posts generous table rules for other styles of the game, experienced players look for the European style of roulette because the house edge is a bit lower. However, the payouts on the bets remain the same.  If you bet on a single number it pays 36-to-1.  The probability of that bet winning on any spin is:

• 1 in 37 for European roulette
• 1 in 38 for American roulette
• 1 in 39 for Sands roulette

The more bets that are placed on the table, the more bets the house keeps.  However, players can improve their chances of winning by trading off on the amount of money that can be won. If you bet on more than one number at a time, your bet covers the odds as you increase the numbers and the odds are reduced.

The most even money bets are the “Half Table” bets which cover colors bets, odds/evens bets, and bets on 18 contiguous numbers.  These bets don’t include any of the zero  (“0”, “00”, or “S”) pockets. These half table bets have the worse odds (1- to 1) and the best probabilities (almost 50%).

The Two Dozen Bets Improve the Probabilities and the Odds

In-between the “inside bets”  and the “even money bets” there are another six “outside” bets.  Each of these bets covers 12 numbers. These bets pay 2-to-1 odds.   These bets (1-12, 13-24, 25-36, or combinations based on the long dozens) but offer smaller chances of paying than the even money “outside” bets.

In European roulette, the probability of choosing the right number with a single “Dozen” bet is 12 / 37.  That is almost 1 in 3.  If you bet $10 on any Dozen and one of your twelve numbers comes in you receive $20.

If you make two “Dozen” bets side-by-side, your probability of choosing the right number increases to  24 / 37, or almost 2 out of 3 chances.  However, at most, you can win only 1 of those two bets. In that case, you end up with the same win amount but your chances of winning are double!  

Don’t forget though, on the flip side, if you lose, you lose twice as much money. The higher the risk, the higher the volatility of the game.  The casino is betting that in the long run, you’ll give up when the house tally is ahead or you’ll run out of money. Since you must bet at least twice the table minimum, it’s more expensive for you to completely lose on the “Two Dozen” bet.