The Martingale strategy is a popular betting system in roulette that involves doubling down on your wagers. The concept is straightforward — you increase your bet after every loss. If you eventually win, you have a higher chance of getting your money back. The system is simple and doesn’t require complex math calculations. While the Martingale roulette strategy is risky, it increases your chances of winning in the short term. You will likely win more spins, but the amounts won may be small. You also have the potential for huge losses if you have a losing streak. Discover the history of the strategy, how it works and the benefits or drawbacks.

The Martingale System in Roulette

While the Martingale system can be used in any online casino game, it is especially popular in roulette games and blackjack. The popularity of roulette is due to the game’s even odds. The Martingale system works best when you bet on 50/50 odds. In roulette, you can wager on odd or even, red or black, and 1-18 or 19-36, which provide nearly 50/50 odds. While you can’t get 50/50 due to the green zero number, they are the best even bets you can get.
The betting strategy originated during the 18th century in France, where the term referred to a class of betting strategies. The betting system was designed for a coin game in which gamblers win or lose their bets for wagering on the heads and tails of a coin. In the strategy, players had to double their bets after every loss so that when they won, they could recover their losses and get a payout equal to the original stake. The idea was that a player would eventually win, and they should capitalise on the win.
The principle of the Martingale strategy has remained the same; increasing the wager amount with each loss. However, the strategy only works for even-money bets in roulette.

How Does the Martingale Strategy Work?

If you want to use the Martingale betting system, you need a sizeable bet amount — in the long run — to double the wager after every loss. You will start with the minimum bet amount, like $1 or $5. If you win a bet, you will return to the minimum bet. When you lose a wager, you should double the bet amount. That means your next wager is $2 or $10; if you lose again, the bet amount increases to $4 or $20. Any time you win, the bet amount should reset to the minimum.
You use the Martingale system with even odds since they have the best chances of winning. The downside is that they could have the lowest winnings since you can get a low payout of 1:1. That means you receive your wager amount.
In theory, the Martingale system works because you can continue doubling up after every loss and earn a small payout after every win. Unfortunately, there are many variables that may not work in your favour, so you can lose. For instance, the Martingale system cannot beat the house edge. In roulette, the green zero is the villain positioning the odds against you. In European roulette, the single zero represents the house edge and reduces your chances of winning from 50% to 48.6%. This shows that the odds are not in your favour, even when using the Martingale system.

Can the Martingale Strategy Help You Win?

The Martingale system helps you win in the short term, but the steep progression makes it a risky strategy. In the long term, the amount you lose will outweigh your winnings since you double the wager with every loss.
The main problem when using Martingale is that you can run out of money quickly if bad luck strikes. Many players don’t believe they can lose 10 times in a row, but it is possible if you use the Martingale betting system. While even bets usually have higher chances of winning, the chance of not hitting black in 10 spins is certainly possible. The probability of not hitting black in European roulette is 0.1275%, while in American roulette, it is 0.1631%. When calculating the probability of not hitting black for 10 spins, you take the zeros into account since there is a chance of getting five reds in a row, one zero and four black. When the game commences, the odds will change. If you lose five games in a row, the losing streak will most likely continue.
In European roulette, the odds that your wager will not win in 10 rounds is 1 to 784. If you start with a $1 bet, you can win $784 if you don’t lose. If the losing streak starts, you can lose $1,024 since you have to double your wager with every loss. That means the losses will outweigh your winnings, and you need to play longer to recoup your investment in the game.

Advantages of the Martingale System

Like all roulette strategies, the Martingale system has numerous benefits, including:

The Martingale betting system is ideal for short-term betting, and you can get great short-term winnings. If you plan to play for only a few hours, you will likely earn more than playing for longer hours.
If you keep doubling your wager every time you lose, you have the possibility of winning back the lost amount and improving your net winnings. You can get back your wager amount, plus profits, with one win.
It is ideal for learning the ropes of roulette if you are new to the game. You can also recover the losses you had within the first few rounds. Even with a losing streak, you can eventually recover a fraction of the money lost.

Disadvantages of the Martingale System

Despite the numerous benefits of Martingale, it has drawbacks that roulette players should understand when using the betting system. The major downside of the Martingale betting system is the logic of doubling wagers. When you double your bet with every loss, the wager amount increases. While the initial bet amounts are small and manageable, the wager value will increase if you are on a losing streak. Doubling your bet depletes your bankroll faster. Martingale betting system is ideal for players with a high bankroll, as there is always a need to boost your bet.
The doubling bet system can also be problematic if the online casino has a maximum betting amount. Most online casinos like Mr Green have a cap on the maximum bet allowed on roulette tables. In a losing streak, the bet amount in 10 spins is $512, which likely exceeds the maximum bet permitted for a roulette game. Even if you have a bankroll to support the increasing bet amounts, the wager size limit will stop you in your tracks.
The Martingale betting system is based on the concept that you cannot get similar results in a row in even bets. For instance, most players believe they cannot get red four times in a row. Every spin is a new event, and the chances of landing black, red or green are equal in each round. That means past outcomes do not affect the new round. Losing streaks are inevitable, which renders the Martingale strategy ineffective.

What Is the Anti-Martingale Betting System?

The anti-Martingale betting system works similarly to the Martingale strategy but in the opposite way. In the system, you double up your wager with every win and reset to the initial bet when you lose. If you have a good winning streak, the bet increases your winnings. The anti-Martingale system can considerably boost your bankroll, and it minimises your losses when bad luck strikes.
Like the Martingale betting system, the streaks don’t last forever. You can significantly lose since you are doubling your wager with every win. When you are on a winning streak, you should protect some of your savings to avoid losing it all.

Conclusion

The Martingale betting system is a good strategy to use when playing online and live roulette. You can use the strategy when wagering on even bets, like higher or lower numbers, red or black, and odd or even wagers. It can help you recover your losses because you double your stake each time you lose. You have a higher chance of recovering your losses in the long run and getting better short-term winnings. If you plan to use the Martingale betting system, you should find an online casino with high maximum wagering limits. When doubling your stake, you are likely to hit the maximum bet limit. You can use the Martingale betting strategy on various table games at Mr Green Casino, including blackjack and online slots.