Roulette System Martingale
Watch the video below which describes the Martingale Roulette system: a negative progression system (like Fibonacci Roulette), where you increase your bets after a loss to claw yourself back to profit. Please read the notes at the bottom of the video. This system is most often played on the even money bets.
There is a variant for Dozens and Columns called Martingale Dozens. There are various variants that are good for the Martingale. It´s easy to play on Premium Roulette, for example, as there is a DOUBLE BET option, which just doubles your bet and spins the wheel. Easy.
The best-known of all roulette systems, Martingale is a notorious roulette double up strategy that casinos have long since neutralised by capping the table stakes. Although I suggest you avoid this like the plague, it’s still important to know what it is and why it’s destined to fail. When things go well.
Roulette Simulator - play free online roulette games riskless for fun and research. European Roulette, American Roulette and simuation for popular strategies. Restart settings. Last spins: loss: win: sum-all spins: loss: win: total-1. 500 # delete all delete set Spin Spins Progression-Factor Linked Maximum Bet Wait Go. Just like the Martingale, you increase your bets after a loss to try and claw back losses (it’s a negative roulette progression), but you increase them at a faster rate. In the Martingale you use the following betting profile: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128. You double your bet after a win.
Video Tutorial- Playing the Martingale Roulette System
How to Play the Martingale on the Roulette Table- 10 tips to help you.
- Keep your bets the same after a win.
- Double your bet after a loss, then revert back to your starting bet once you win. (Try Roulette Splendide at Virgin Casino for an easy way to do this. They have a “Double Bet” option).
- You can change what you bet on (red/black, even/odd etc) or continue on the same bet- the odds are the same.
- Keep your session short. At some point you will see 5 or more losses in row. Get out before you get there.
- Have a clear profit target and stop loss before you start. DON’T exceed them on the Martingale System.
- You can play this on most bets, but most players use it on the lower risk even money roulette bets (red/black etc).
- Remember the table limits. At some point you will run out of room to double your bet if you suffer a bad losing streak. Start with a low bet to maximise your room for manouevre, or play high limit tables but keep an eye on your bets- they can ramp up quickly in the Martigale. Plan your bets and bet your plan!
- Be aware of the gambler’s fallacy. Just because you have just seen 5 reds in a row, it doesn’t mean that there is more chance of a black coming up. Why not bet odd, even, hi or lo? Mix it up!
- If you hit your profit target or stop loss, quit. Be strict with yourself.
- Play in short sessions and take a break. Stay focused!
Pros and Cons of the Martingale System
- Easy to understand
- Can work well in short bursts
- Flexible. You can play it on any bets. Most people play the Outsite Bets with a 50% table coverage or more.
- Careful! Your bets can ramp up quickly and before you know it, you are betting a lot to win a small amount within one Martingale sequence. This is an aggressive system where your bets can ramp up quickly. Make sure you also have a look at less aggressive systems like the Hollandish System.
- The Martingale does not alter the overall house edge: 2.6% in European Roulette.
- It’s a negative progression- so you flat bet after a win, which means you limit your profit potential on a lucky streak.
More Martingale Systems.
This system has a number of variants, notably the Super Martingale (careful here as it’s even more aggressive) and the Reverse Martingale where you increase bets after a win rather than a loss. Do you find the Martingale System risky or not so risky? If it’s the latter, wait until you read about the Triple Martingale system which involves tripling your bets after a loss. There are a bunch of other system that are variants of the Martingale such as the Balvinder Sambhi system. It really is the most famous strategy out there.
The Negative Martingale system in which you increase your bets after a win is a sister system that aims to accelerate winnings on a purple streak- but you must be disciplined and decide how long you will stay on for the ride.
Martingale System Top Tip
Start your first bet low and play on a wheel that has a decent betting limit to give yourself room to cover losses. Don´t stay on the Martingale progression too long. You will end up betting a big amount for a small win.
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Martingale System FAQs
- If I see 3 reds in a row, should I bet on black? It is true that the odds of seeing 4 reds in a row is lower than the odds of seeing 2 reds in a row. But careful! You don’t bet on multiple spins in roulette, only one. The odds are the same for a single spin whether you have seen 3 reds in a row or Bugs Bunny at the table!
- Why is the Martingale System called the Martingale? One theory is that the name derives from the Provençal expression “jouga a la martegalo” which translates roughly as “to play in an absurd and incomprehensible way” (!)
Here's a list of the most popular betting systems used in roulette.
I've included short and simple explanations for how each of them work, along with simulators to show the kind of results you can expect when using these systems in real life.
1. Martingale System
- Also known as: Double-Up Progression
- Type: Negative Progression
Double your bet every time you lose. If you win, go back to your initial betting unit.
2. Fibonacci System
- Type: Negative Progression
Increase the size of your bet according to the fibonacci sequence when you lose. If you win, go back two steps in the sequence:
3. d'Alembert System
- Also known as: Pyramid System, Seesaw System, Montant et démontant (Upwards and downwards)
- Type: Negative Progression
Increase and decrease the size of your bet by one unit when you lose and win.
4. Cancellation System
- Also known as: Labouchère System, Split-Martingale
- Type: Negative Progression
Generate a sequence of numbers that sums to a target amount you want to win (your choice). Bet an amount that is equal to the first and last numbers in the sequence. If you win, cross those numbers off the sequence. If you lose, append the size of the losing bet to the end of the sequence. You will win your target amount if you complete the sequence.
5. Paroli System
- Type: Positive Progression
Let your bet and profits ride when you win, but stop when you hit your progression limit. When you hit your predetermined limit, return back to your initial bet size.
6. Oscar's System
- Also known as: Oscar's Grind
- Type: Positive Progression
If you lose on your first spin, increase your bet by one unit every time you win until you make it to a one unit profit. If your next bet will take you above this amount, adjust your bet downwards so that you will only win one unit in total. The goal is to only win one unit, so the system restarts when you have made a one unit profit.
What are systems?
The aim of using a system is to try and secure a win from every session you play.
Martingale Roulette Strategy
The majority of systems are designed in order to try and beat roulette, and they often involve increasing the size of your bet when you lose so that you can recoup any losses and (hopefully) guarantee yourself a win.
A roulette system typically involves betting on red/black (or any even-money wager on the roulette table) and adjusting the size of your bet when you win/lose.
Roulette systems typically make use of the even-money wagers on the roulette table.
What types of systems are there?
There are two types of betting systems:
- Negative Progression. With these systems you increase your bet when you lose.
- Positive Progression. With these systems you increase your bet when you win.
Negative progression
These systems are based around the idea of recouping losses so that you can return to making a profit. This is the most dangerous type of system, because although they appear to work most of the time, they occasionally result in catastrophic losses that wipe out your bankroll. These are the most common type of betting system and arise from the belief that you can beat the roulette wheel.
A negative progression system tends to display a steady upward trend, with the occasional catastrophic losses wiping out all winnings.
Positive progression
These systems are based around maximizing your wins when you hit winning streaks. These are far less pernicious than negative progression systems, because they're not (usually) founded on the idea that the roulette table can be beaten. Instead, they embrace the fact that the odds are against you and simply amplify your wins when you get lucky.
A positive progression system tends to display a steady downward trend, with the occasional upswing from winning streaks.
Note: If you're going to use a betting system, I would recommend using a positive progression system. Negative progression systems are alluring, but they can lead you in to very dark holes.
Which system is the best?
There is no 'best' system for roulette. None of the systems above can actually help you to beat roulette, and they all provide the same results over the long run.
To put it another way, you can expect to lose the same amount on average from each of these systems over the long haul. Whilst some appear to be more successful than others, over a long enough time period your losses will always converge toward the house edge.
All these systems do is provide a different path to the same end result.
The systematic approach gives the illusion of being a framework for success, but ultimately they all provide the same results as betting random amounts at the roulette table.
Who invents roulette systems?
People who think they can beat roulette. Some of the creators of these systems are well-known mathematicians and politicians from the centuries ago:
- Jean le Rond d'Alembert (1717-1783)
- Henry Labouchère (1831-1912)
But that doesn't mean their systems work. It just means they shared the same flawed belief that they could beat the inherent odds of the roulette wheel. If anything it just goes to show that even some of the greatest minds can be fooled by roulette.
Even Dostoevsky believed he could beat the roulette wheel by keeping his cool, although he didn't use an exact system during play.
Why use a system?
Because they offer a different way to play roulette.
Unfortunately the majority of people who use systems do so because they believe they will work. This is the most dangerous reason to use a system, because this belief will only lead you in to bigger and bigger losses at the hands of the roulette wheel.
The only good reason to use a system is because you want to try something new. For example, the cancellation system provides a structured approach to betting, and the paroli system (my favorite) will amplify your wins when you hit a lucky streak.
So as long as you're careful and accept the fact that you're still expected to lose over the long run no matter what, a system can provide a change of pace.
Why don't systems work?
The most popular systems for claiming to be able to 'beat roulette' are the negative progression systems, as they promise to recoup losses so that you can always guarantee yourself a win.
There are two major problems with this idea however:
- You don't have an infinite amount of money to bet with.
- The roulette table has a limit to how much you can bet.
Eventually you will hit a losing streak that goes on for longer than you thought possible, and the size of your bet will increase so much that you either run out of money, or you exceed the maximum bet at the table.
- If you run out of money, you cannot carry on with the system and cannot recoup your losses.
- If you hit the table limit, you cannot carry on with the system and cannot recoup your losses.
Either way, the system is going to fail at some point, plus the inevitable losses will wipe out any previous wins you may have had.
So whilst these systems may work in theory, in practice they're always doomed to failure.
Can I use my own system?
Martingale Betting System Roulette
Sure.
As I say, none of the systems on this page improve your odds of winning, and any system you devise will be subject to the same odds.
So feel free to experiment and create your own system. You're not going to be any better or worse off for it.
Which system is the most popular?
The martingale system is the most famous. In fact, I've seen many roulette players naturally adopt this system without even knowing it, which explains it's popularity.
Beyond that it's a bit of a mixed bag. Although a variant of the cancellation system (Labouchère system) was popularized in the book Thirteen Against The Bank by Norman Leigh.
But as I say, they all produce the same results, so just use the one you find most interesting.
Conclusion
There is no system that can help you to win money at roulette.
The only benefit to using a system is making your sessions more interesting by introducing a new betting structure. However, be very careful with negative progression systems like the martingale, because if you follow them too closely you can end up experiencing devastating losses.
So I'm sorry to disappoint you by revealing the fact that there is no roulette system in existence that can help you to win money. But at least you won't lose any money in the pursuit of finding one.