The Martingale System – Overcoming the Odds? The Martingale system is the most popular and commonly used roulette strategy. The concept behind it is pretty simple – you increase your bet after every loss, so when you eventually win, you get your lost money back and start betting with the initial amount again. Roulette WIN Every Time Strategy 1 Basics of Modified Martingale-Roulette, one of the easiest casino games to play and understand. The Philosophy Behind the Martingale Roulette Strategy The Martingale system is well-known for its simplicity and ease of use. In a way, that could be the reason why this betting concept has such a long-lasting presence in the casino world. According to experts, the Martingale was first used in 18th century France. Roulette Martingale works on the principle that a player can hypothetically increase their chances of winning in the short term by betting big to win small amounts. The Martingale system is most commonly used on outside bets, or even chance betting. These are bets such as Red/Black, Odd/Even, and 1-18/19-36.

Many novices rely predominantly on their intuition when they first join the roulette table. However, others consider that adopting a suitable betting system prior to committing to real-money wagers may greatly improve their chances of turning a profit. One of the most well-known betting systems that are employed by lovers of the table game is the Martingale. Devised over three hundred years ago, the Martingale is now one of the oldest and most commonly-used betting systems that are still in existence.

The system is predominantly used by inexperienced roulette players because it is quite easy to learn, but they often overlook the fact that it can be rather tricky. Being a negative progressive system, the Martingale requires players to increase their stake after each loss and decrease it after a win. The following article aims at introducing players to the Martingale system, its variations, advantages, and disadvantages.

How the Martingale Betting System Works

The system is considered most suitable for even-money wagers, such as the Red/Black, Odd/Even, and High/Low bets. In its most basic form, the Martingale system requires players to double their bets after each successive loss. Once a player wins, they are expected to reduce their bet amount to its initial value. Players need to keep on staking an amount that is equal to the base bet unit they have chosen until another loss occurs when the next bet is doubled again.

The idea behind the Martingale is that players will eventually break out of their losing streak and will be able to recover from the losses with their next winning bet. However, it is important to mention that their net profit will coincide with the amount of their initial wager. That is the reason why they should think carefully about the base bet unit they will make use of. Furthermore, while settling on the amount they will initially stake, players should take into consideration the size of their bankroll and make sure that it will endure when long losing streaks occur.

Let’s use the following example to demonstrate how the Martingale system works in roulette. Imagine you start with a basic betting unit of £5 and your first even-money bet on red loses. You need to double up your second bet to £10, and let’s assume that you lose again. Your third even-money bet should be £20. After another loss, your fourth bet would amount to £40. This time, luck is on your side and you win. It turns out you have lost £35 on your first three bets but have recovered from the loss by winning £40 with your fourth bet, with a net profit of £5. Now that you have won, you need to reduce your next stake to the original betting unit of £5. This is what the Martingale betting system is all about.

As you can see, the Martingale system enables players to win back the lost amount after a long losing streak, but their profit of one betting unit is far from impressive. You may think experiencing a bad streak of seven or eight losses in a row is not a likely scenario with even-money bets in roulette, but it is. In fact, such losing streaks take place with much greater frequency than players might imagine. This is a detail that should not be neglected because in such cases, the amount casino enthusiasts will be required to put on the line will expand significantly within a short period of time.

If this happens, there is a good chance of you reaching the table limit prior to recovering your losses with a single winning bet.

The Martingale system is effective in the short-term but is not regarded as a suitable option for players with smaller bankrolls as they risk running out of money to play with prior to recovering from their lengthy losing streak.

Variations of the Martingale System

The wild popularity of the Martingale betting system among players has led to the emergence of different variations. The Reverse Martingale and the Grand Martingale are the two most popular variants. Mini Martingale is one more variant of the popular roulette betting system gambling enthusiasts might wish to read up on. Below, you will find more information on how these three systems work.

Mini Martingale Betting System

What makes this variant of the betting system stand out from the crowd is that while employing it, gambling enthusiasts will be prompted to decide on the number of times they will double the staked amount.

By imposing such a limit, roulette players will be prevented from risking such overwhelming amounts in an attempt to compensate for their losses from the previous rounds.

Yet, in spite of the fact that making use of this variant of the betting system might seem like a good idea to you, you should be mindful of the fact that it does have its limitations and weaknesses. Although players will be prevented from risking too much of their funds, they should keep in mind that sometimes, they might be required to put the breaks on the usage of the betting system without reaching the point when they have made up for their previous losses.

In other words, while utilising the Mini Martingale betting system, they might once again lose money, and the only difference here is that they will do so at a much slower pace in comparison with the situation when players will use the original version of the betting system.

Of course, there is always the chance that luck might be on your side that day, and you might walk away with hefty payouts, but it will be best if you do not pin your hopes on that betting system.

The Reverse Martingale System

The Reverse Martingale system, also known as the Anti-Martingale, turns the classic betting system around as it enables players to take advantage of their winning streaks instead of trying to chase down their losses. Those, who implement the Reverse Martingale are expected to double their bets each time they win and go back to their starting betting unit after each loss.

The player starts with the lowest stake that is allowed at the table and places flat, even-money bets until they succeed in winning. Once a win occurs, players will need to double the size of their bet for the next spin of the wheel. When a loss occurs, players need to go back to their initial betting amount.

The Reverse Martingale system relies on the idea that roulette players are always faced with winning and losing streaks. By doubling the bets when on a winning streak and decreasing the stakes while on a losing streak, the player is bound to turn a long-term profit.

One major disadvantage of the Reverse Martingale results from the fact that players may end up wiping out all their winnings with a single loss. That is why a good amount of discipline is required when you decide to implement this variation of the betting system. Good judgment is necessary for determining how far to carry one’s winning streak. After all, a streak of seven or eight consecutive wins occurs rarely, so players must revert to their starting betting units before they wipe out their profits with a single loss.

Although some gambling enthusiasts are keener on the idea to apply this variant of the betting system because it seems like a safer alternative, they should not forget that it is not a foolproof means of getting the massive wins they might be after.

The Grand Martingale System

The Grand Martingale, also known as the Great Martingale, ranks as one of the most popular variations of this negative progressive betting system. As was mentioned previously, players who resort to the Martingale system might get a profit that is equal to their initial betting unit. Therefore, the gains will be far from substantial. The Grand Martingale sets out to resolve this issue.

Rather than simply doubling their bets after each loss, players are expected to double their stake and add their initial betting unit. For instance, if you lose a bet of 2 betting units, your next stake will be 5 instead of 4 units. Thus, if you happen to lose three times in a row and win with your fourth bet, the betting sequence will be as follows – 2, 5, 11, 23. You would have won 46 units after betting a total of 41 units, which makes for a net profit of 5 units. As you can see, if you follow the Grand Martingale, your net profit will be greater than your initial betting unit, provided that you manage to break from the losing streak you have ended up in.

Some players opt for adding two units instead of one to their doubled stake as they have reached the conclusion that they can still sustain eight losses in a row prior to reaching the table limit. However, this course of action is only suitable for players with more substantial bankrolls.

No matter whether you will opt for adding just one or two bet units to the staked amount, this will be of little avail as players will still be unable to overcome the main stumbling block of the betting system. More specifically, they might not make it to the point when they will be on profit simply because the staked amount has hit the table limits or their funds do not suffice to cover their next stake.

You should be aware that adhering to this roulette betting system can turn out to be exceptionally detrimental to your bankroll due to the fact that this time, the amount you will be required to risk will escalate with greater speed in comparison with the occasions when players employ the Mini Martingale betting system.

Martingale Betting System Used on Dozen Bets

As you might already know, the bulk of the roulette betting systems are applied to outside wagers that pay even money, which is the case with bets laid on Even, Odd, High, Low, Red, and Black. As it seems, the Martingale betting system can be employed also when players opt for column or dozen bets.

What is worth noting about these bet types is that each of them covers a total of 12 numbers, and they do not reward even-money payoffs as instead pay at the rate of 2:1.

If we assume that the amount players have staked is £1, the profit they will get if their bet wins is £2, while the casino will collect £1 if their prediction is not accurate. If another loss incurs, the amount players will have lost will be £2. If they win on their second bet, the profit gambling enthusiasts will collect will be £1, and so on.

As players can see, the profit they will enjoy if they stick to this course of action will invariably range between £1 and £2. Yet, what is important to note is that this time, the numbers will not go up at such a fast pace, which comes about when roulette mavens apply the Martingale betting system to outside wagers that grant even money.

Just imagine that you have gone through 15 consecutive losses, this will mean that so far, you will have parted with £709, and the next wager you need to lay should be £355 so that you could compensate for your previous losses. On such occasions, your total outlay will be £1.064, which is a significant amount of money, especially when having in mind that the stake you lay compromises less than ⅓ of all numbers the roulette wheel features.

Some players who are rather risk-averse might be intrigued by the idea to opt for double dozen or column betting. In this way, they apply the Martingale betting system while making two dozen or two column bets at the same time.

As it seems, this approach appeals to some gambling aficionados due to the fact that the stakes they make will cover half of the numbers from the roulette wheel. It goes without saying that this translates into a greater chance of getting wins more frequently.

As you might expect, this approach also has its flaws due to the fact that the amount players need to stake needs to be tripled whenever a loss incurs. Just imagine that you have gone through six losses in a row. Your losses will mount at a fast pace and will stand at £728.

Roulette lovers should know that there is also a Straight-up Martingale variant. As can be expected from the name, making use of this version of the betting system will mean that you need to focus your attention on inside bets, and more specifically, on the Straight-up ones. Even if you decide to give this version of the betting system a chance, you should be prepared that the end result will invariably be the same as with the above-mentioned versions.

Once again, players should take into account the fact that the betting progression is likely to be rather steep because the probability of an individual number to become a winning one is 2.70% in single-zero roulette games and 2.60% with games where there is an additional zero field on the betting layout. Perhaps, casino aficionados are already aware that such stakes pay at the rate of 35:1 when they are winning ones.

While using the Straight-up Martingale, players will be required to put £10 on a stake. If the number loses, you will need to bet £10 again, but it is important to note that you should not necessarily settle on the same number again. If we presume that the chosen number does not hit again, you should once again lay a straight bet of the same amount, and you should keep on doing so until you manage to correctly predict the next winning number.

If the chosen number hits on your first stake, this will mean that you will collect 350 units. Yet, imagine that you place 35 bets, and none of them is a winning one. This will make for an outlay of 350 units.

Advantages of the Martingale Betting System

The biggest advantage the Martingale system has to offer is that players are guaranteed to turn a profit in the short term. If a player succeeds in winning after a longer losing streak, their profit will be enough to offset the previous losses.

As we mentioned above, the Martingale betting system revolves around outside wagers that pay even money. Unlike inside bets that are much riskier, but provide heftier payoffs, the risk inherent to outside roulette bets is not that grave. In spite of that, gambling enthusiasts should not forget that there is not a roulette betting system, the Martingale included, that never fails and delivers regular wins.

One of the biggest advantages of the Martingale system is that it is easy to understand and learn, which renders it suitable for both roulette novices and more experienced players. While using it, players will not need to face any complex equations, which is sometimes the case with betting systems of that breed, which certainly gives it some advantage over them.

The popularity of this roulette betting system can be ascribed also to the fact that it can be employed while placing your stakes over the Internet or while playing in a brick-and-mortar casino.

Disadvantages of the Martingale Betting System

One of the biggest disadvantages of the Martingale system is that a longer losing streak might result in players wiping out all their profits. From this, it follows that players are risking way too much money in an attempt to turn a small profit. As longer losing streaks are bound to occur sooner or later, the Martingale system is not suitable for players who have smaller bankrolls.

Then again, if you follow the system long enough, there will come a point when you either have no more money to bet with or you reach the maximum stake at the roulette table, in which case you will not be able to win back your previous losses. This comes to explain why knowledgeable roulette players are likely to warn you off that using the Martingale betting system is not such a good idea as it might seem at first.

Of course, there is always the option to cut your losses and start from scratch with your initial betting unit but it is almost certain you will have wiped out the profits you have previously accumulated. That is why many experienced roulette players believe that the Martingale works only in the short term and is unlikely to be workable when it comes to guaranteeing consistent wins.

It is essential to remember that the longer you employ the betting system, the more likely you will be to lose, and the losses you will experience will almost certainly increase alarmingly fast.

Can the Martingale Betting System Beat the Casino Advantage

In spite of the fact that the disadvantages of the Martingale betting system should not be overlooked, this does not mean that players should not use it if they want so. What they should be mindful of is that employing that betting system will not help them amass a fortune as some of them might expect because the profit they can potentially yield will always be equal to the base bet unit they have chosen.

In fact, the Martingale betting system can sometimes work well even when a larger time span is taken into account, but this is only possible if players steer clear of long losing streaks. As we mentioned above, such are bound to happen while betting on roulette, so players need to be prepared to deal with the losing rounds.

Technique Roulette Casino Martingale

Perhaps, one of the most essential things players should keep in mind is that the house advantage cannot be overcome, no matter whether they are using the Martingale or any other roulette betting system. By employing a betting system, they will not improve their chances of winning either. As we mentioned above, players are more likely to win on outside bets as their probability of winning is invariably 48.65%, and this probability will remain unaffected, no matter if they decide to augment or decrease the value of their stakes.

The same applies to the built-in edge the casino enjoys over roulette mavens as it will remain 2.70% for European-style and 5.26% for American-style roulette variations. No matter if you decide to apply the Martingale or any other betting system, it is most likely that you will wind up in the same place, more specifically, you are likely to lose to the casino.

If we pay attention to the original Martingale betting system and we assume that your initial wager was £5, and you have experienced six successive losses, this will mean that your next wager should be worth £320, which is 64 times the bet unit you originally opted for. In this scenario, the losses you have experienced will be worth £315. Another losing wager will mean that you need to augment your next stake to £640.

As likely as not, at this point, players might have already run out of funds or hit the ceiling on the stakes, thus making it impossible to get a win that will outweigh the losses they have seen so far. This is exactly where the betting system comes to a cropper as it will be practicable if players’ bankroll is infinite or there is no ceiling on the wagers they can lay. This comes to explain why using the Martingale betting system is not recommended.

Since the emergence of roulette several centuries ago, casino players have been trying to come up with a strategy that would increase their chances of winning. One of the oldest methods still in use is the Martingale system, a negative betting progression that can be applied to various games of chance, including roulette.

The Martingale system was devised in the 18th century in France and was gradually popularized across Europe and North America. It was initially used by gamblers who played heads and tails, a simple game with two, equally likely outcomes. With this method, they would double up their bet every time they lost, believing that their bet would eventually win and they would recoup their previous losses. The system gained great popularity among gamblers due to its simplicity and the general opinion that over time, the number of heads and the number of tails would balance out.

1. Bonus
   ⋆80 Free Spins
2. Bonus
   $300
3. $500
   $600

Today, there are dozens of betting systems, most of which can be used in roulette. The Martingale itself gave rise to several methods that are based on its concept and are equally easy to learn and understand even by inexperienced gamblers. What they need to know before they start using it, however, is that it is associated with quite a high risk because it requires doubling up the amount of the stake after every loss. It is particularly dangerous for casino players with limited bankrolls who happen to have a long losing streak.

Naturally, as with all other betting systems, the Martingale could be very effective in bankroll management if used cautiously. Casino players should know that this method cannot change the odds of the game – in roulette, the house always wins in the end. In the short term, however, the Martingale can help gamblers bet in a systematic, organized manner and avoid huge losses on the roulette table.

How It Works

The Martingale system is, as we already said, very simple and straightforward. Similarly to all progressive systems, it aims to help players recuperate the money they have lost with bigger bets. In contrast, with non-progressive systems, the amount of the stake remains the same throughout the game session. The Martingale method uses the previous results in order to determine the gambler’s decision for the next round.

In roulette, it is used for bets with almost even chances such as red/black, high/low, and even/odd. These outside bets have a probability of nearly 50% – it is 47.37% in double-zero roulette and 48.65% in single-zero roulette games. This means that the chances of hitting red or black are equal, so it does not matter which one you would go for – each of the bets mentioned above would work. Of course, in order for the system to work, you need to keep your chips on the same sector of the layout throughout your entire game. There is nothing complex about applying the system and players do need a lot of experience in playing roulette in order to understand it.

Casino Roulette Martingale Poker

The concept is very simple – you start with a small stake and you double its amount after every loss. When you eventually win, you should be able to win back all the lost money and you will start the betting progression with the initial bet amount. Players are advised to start with the table minimum because, with the Martingale, their bet will increase very quickly after just a few consecutive losses. The following example can illustrate this in a clear way – we will use 1 credit, which may be $1 or $10, depending on the table minimum.

1-2-4-8-16-32-64-128-256-512-1024-2048-4096-8192

As you can see, the bet jumps from $1 to $64 after just a few losses. Sometimes, roulette players can have a stroke of particularly bad luck when their bet can lose more than 10 times in a row. Gamblers refer to this as a “losing streak” and it is common in games with random outcomes such as roulette – winning streaks are also common. It may sound unlikely, but hitting red 10 times in a row is possible, which as we can see from the progression above raises the bet to more than $500 per spin.

So, we double up the bet after each loss, but what happens when we win? Once the bet wins, the player cancels the betting progression and wager the initial amount – $1, for example. The amount of stake remains the same until a loss has been registered. So, often, the system may look like this:

1-1-1-1-2-4-1-1-2-1

However, the Martingale progression starts with the first loss and ends with the first win, so actually, it would include only 1-2-4. Since it is used with an even-money bet, the payout will be equal to the amount of the stake. If we take $1 as one unit, the total amount we have wagered would be $7, while the amount we have won would be $8 – our original $4 stake in the third round plus the payout of $4. Therefore, our net profit is only $1 – with the Martingale system, the net profit is always equal to the initial bet amount.

Additional TipsWhen using betting systems, however, players should always consider the table limits. Land-based casinos would rarely accept bets as low as $1 per spin, so let’s see an example of the Martingale method being used on a table where the minimum stake is $5 and the maximum is $500.

As you can see from the example, it would be impossible to be successful with the Martingale system at a table where bets are allowed from $5 to $500 if you lose 7 times in a row. Still, just a single win would bring you a total profit of $5.

Variations of the Martingale System

The simplicity and the perceived efficiency of the Martingale system have made it quite popular among roulette fans. Since most seasoned players recognize how risky it could be, they have designed several methods based on the classic system. These new and improved methods include the Reverse Martingale and the Grand Martingale, which aim to give gamblers more flexibility when playing roulette.

The Reverse Martingale

As its name implies, the system is the opposite of the classic Martingale system and it is also known as the Anti-Martingale. This method is a positive progression, which means that players increase their bet after each win – following a loss, they start a new sequence with their initial bet. Of course, the amount of the wager is not simply increased by a single unit, for instance. Each time players win, they double up their bet, hoping they would be able to take advantage of their winning streaks.

Gamblers can apply this method to even-money bets in roulette such as re/black, high/low, and even/odd. Once again, the sequence starts with the lowest possible stake and it remains the same until players register a win. Once this happens, they double up and continue doubling the amount they wager with every successful bet.

Of course, the Reverse Martingale can also easily lead to reaching the maximum limit of the table with only a few bets. If the player continues the progression from above, the next bet would jump to $320 and if it wins, it would be followed by a $640 wager, which would exceed the maximum betting limit. The other disadvantage of this method is so obvious that there is no point in putting it in the table – with just a single loss, the player would lose all the profit gained so far.

The Grand Martingale

The classic Martingale betting system has one huge disadvantage – it does not provide players with any substantial winnings. The guaranteed net profit equals the initial bet amount and it is “guaranteed” only if the player’s bankroll is close to unlimited. The Grand Martingale system is designed to solve this particular problem – to provide players with larger earnings by increasing the bet amount even more rapidly.

This method requires players to double up their stake after every loss and to add the amount of their initial bet. This continues until the bet wins when the player ends the progression and starts all over with the initial bet. For instance, if we take the $1 classic Martingale progression and apply it here, we would get:

1-3-7-15-31-63-127-255-511-1023-2047-4095

It is obvious from the sequence that the Grand Martingale consists of a progression that is much steeper than in the original system. While in the classic version, 10 losses increase the stake amount to 512 units ($512), the bet here jumps to $1,023. However, the expected net profit is much higher than the initial bet, as we can see from the following example:

Casino Roulette Martingale Rules

Some high-rollers prefer to add two units to the doubled amount instead of just one. Using the example above, we would start with a $5 bet and if it wins, our second wager would be $20, while the third bet would jump to $50 and the fourth – to $110. As you can see, this alternative to the classic Martingale is much riskier as it requires rapid increasing of the stake after each loss. So, a particularly long losing streak could easily “eat up” the player’s entire bankroll.

Does the Martingale Beat the Odds?

Each of the variations of the Martingale betting system seems flawless at least theoretically. Casino gamblers, however, do not play with concepts – they wager their real money. Obviously, the systems would work for players with unlimited bankrolls as eventually, at least a small profit would be yielded even with the classic Martingale.

While this all sounds very probable in theory, most players’ bankrolls are not unlimited. In fact, many roulette fans have lost huge amounts of money with these methods of betting. At some point, they would always run out of money and the inevitable house edge would catch up with them. The house edge, also a theoretical concept, cannot be overcome by any betting systems or strategies. In reality, the odds of each bet winning remain the same regardless of any actions and decisions on the player’s part.

Does the Martingale Beat the Odds?The reason is very simple – roulette is based purely on chance and in order to make a prediction about the outcome of the next spin, we need to take only one thing into consideration, namely the probability of the bet. As mentioned above, all even-money bets in roulette are equally likely to win at odds of 18:19, or at a probability of 48.65% (47.37% in the double-zero variation of the game, known as American roulette). Therefore, changing the amount of the bet cannot change the odds – they are fixed throughout the game, so is the advantage the casino has over its players.

As the odds in roulette always favor the house, the Martingale betting system is useless in changing that. Despite what many players believe, a long streak of red numbers is not always followed by a long streak or black numbers, so you cannot rely upon the idea that eventually, the wheel would somehow balance itself. Yes, the red and the black are equally likely but a balance between the two could be achieved only in an unlimited amount of spins and is, in its essence, only theoretical. In reality, if we have 50 red numbers and 50 black numbers in 100 spins, this would be the result of coincidence and pure chance.

Pros and Cons of the Martingale System in Roulette

The Martingale system, as well as its two most common variations, are really easy to use and can be applied to all even-money outside bets in roulette. As every roulette player knows well, these are the safest bets in this game, so basing your game around them is a good strategy. Still, no betting system is a fool-proof method for winning in roulette – the odds are always in favor of the house and besides, a lot of things can go wrong in real life.

That is why players should remember that the Martingale system can turn profit only in the short term. When used carefully, it could help gamblers plan their game and manage their bankroll well, so they never run out of money on the roulette table. If they manage to win after having a long losing streak, they would be able to recuperate all their losses. Still, caution is necessary even when starting with the table minimum as your initial bet.

Casino Roulette Martingale Games

If used excessively, this method could easily result in losing your entire bankroll. The main dangers of the Martingale system in roulette are reaching the maximum limit of the table without winning a bet and, more importantly, spending all your money before getting the chance to recoup your losses. Long losing streaks can easily wipe out all your winnings and even if they are not very likely to happen, they will happen occasionally. For this reason, the Martingale is a suitable betting system only for those who have more considerable bankrolls and have a higher tolerance for risk.

Conclusion

Casino Roulette Martingale Game

Most roulette players tend to avoid the Martingale because they know it is efficient only in the short term and can be very risky. Still, the system remains quite popular among gamblers who believe they are lucky and have sufficient funds in their gaming bankroll. As explained above, this system cannot beat the odds in roulette and it is wrong to think that you can actually turn them in your favor. There are, on the other hand, more conservative betting systems that might help roulette fans minimize their losses and achieve optimal play.