The Martingale strategy roulette players have been talking about for centuries is a simple one. The basic idea is that by doubling your bets after losses, you can always recoup lost wagers. On paper, it’s a foolproof system that eliminates the possibility of having to live with a cold streak at any of your table games. But as any online casino player knows, things aren’t that simple in practice.
In this article, we’ll discuss the Martingale system and talk about how to use it in roulette games to avoid losses. We’ll also discuss some limitations, drawbacks, and criticisms so that players can make an informed decision about putting the system to use in their own gambling sessions.
What is the Martingale system in roulette?
Martingale roulette strategy discussions always have to begin with a straightforward description of how it works. Fortunately, there’s no complicated calculations to do. Here’s how to do the Martingale betting strategy in roulette:
- Start with a 50/50 bet that pays out 1:1, like red or black, or even or odd. This is an important part of the strategy. Make sure you’re not trying to implement it on a bet that has different odds or payouts. The math won’t work the same, and you’ll be in trouble fast.
- If you win your bet, keep your bet size the same. You’re in good shape. Enjoy the wins.
- If you lose your bet, double the wager size. If your first lost wager was $5, now you bump it to $10. Do this after each loss, even if you go on an extended cold streak.
- When you finally win again, reset your bet amount to the amount used at the beginning of the sequence.
It’s critical to hang in there as long as it takes and keep doubling through the losses. This is the way to guarantee that you will recoup everything and then some. But of course, you can also probably see that there’s going to be a problem or two with this approach. Let’s talk a little bit about the downsides of the Martingale system.
Limits and drawbacks of the Martingale in roulette
The Martingale betting system roulette players are always wondering about implementing comes with some drawbacks.
The biggest risk is that you will go on a cold streak so long that you will run out of money in your bankroll to make your next double wager. If you start with $5, you are going to be betting $320 on your seventh round of gambling when things don’t go your way. And at that point, you are already down $315 ($5+10+20+40+80+160).
The truth is not everyone can cope with the implications of this strategy. And there is no guarantee that a losing streak will stop at seven rounds of betting. It can and will go on in some rare cases. This is why it takes tremendous courage and an equally tremendous bankroll to ride out the losses until the win hits again. If you get very unlucky and face a statistically improbable run that isn’t going your way, the Martingale is going to make some “demands” that you may not be able to satisfy.
And then there’s the table maximums. Even at an online crypto casino like ours, games have their limits. You can’t go on doubling bets forever. Games are designed to be played at a particular wager size and not beyond. So, if the Martingale tells you to double again and you hit the table limit, the strategy will break down. You’ve got to keep these things in mind when you’re considering whether to give the Martingale a shot. Critics have been explaining them for ages, and they’re quite valid.
If you want to switch up your strategy after hearing this, check out more roulette articles by clicking here.
Has anyone used the system and made money?
A gambler from England named Charles Wells is said to have used the system to break the bank at the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco. Each gaming table at the Monte Carlo was supplied with 100,000 francs daily. If players depleted all these reserve funds at any point, they were said to have “broken the bank.” Mr. Wells did this in 1891, prompting the casino to drape a black sheet over the table he was playing at, and it is strongly suggested that he used the Martingale to perform his famous feat.
This would make sense, given how out of hand bets can get when you’re doubling them each round. Martingale strategy roulette odds analysts know that all it takes is a weird streak where one color refuses to show up in the results, and the doubled wagers will balloon to ridiculous sizes.
Another casino manager reports that, before his operation limited bet doubling, a player nearly wiped the casino out with Martingale betting at blackjack. The player received a whopping £200k before his activity was through.
Clearly, the system can work if players have bankrolls big enough and the casinos are willing to allow extensive bet size increases. But as we explained above, this isn’t usually how things work in the real world.
The Reverse Martingale (aka the “Paroli”) – an alternative way to bet during win streaks
Reverse Martingale strategy roulette players look at things differently. They want to keep hot streaks going and minimize losses. For this reason, they do the opposite of the Martingale. They do an anti-Martingale approach where they increase bet sizes when they are winning. This allows them to build up some nice gains. When they lose, they keep bets small.
Why do they do it? The Reverse Martingale avoids a situation where you are eight losses deep and betting $640 to win back an original bet of $5 that they are chasing. We have to admit, that’s going to feel pretty strange. If you’re somebody to likes to ride a wave of excitement, this opposite strategy may be one that you’re going to like more.
What varieties of roulette does this system work for?
If you’re going to try out the roulette Martingale strategy, we’ve got over 130 game options for you to choose from. Some of them, like Vulcano Roulette, even feature a “2x and spin again” button for after you lose. This makes it super easy to implement the Martingale without even having to do any calculations. It’s all done automatically for you.
Games like Virtual Burning Roulette also add multipliers to special numbers, so if you want to make additional wagers, you can add some big win potential into your Martingale attempts. When you hit multipliers of up to 1,000x, your betting system bankroll will get super-sized! If this system isn’t for you, try out the straight up bet roulette strategy!
FAQ
Does the Martingale system work in roulette?
The Martingale system is ideal for roulette due to the existence of bets that are close to 50/50 in odds and payouts that are around 1:1.
Is the Martingale system illegal in roulette?
Martingale betting strategy roulette players will find that the system is not at all illegal. If you want to use this betting sequence, you can.
How effective is the Martingale system?
The Martingale system is fully effective if your bankroll and the table limits don’t run out. That’s a pretty big “if,” though.
What is the most successful roulette system?
The roulette martingale strategy advocates would tell you that this is the most successful system (if you can find a table that allows very large bet sizes and you have a serious bankroll).