Martingale System Explained – Top Tips & Strategies

The Martingale betting system is a negative progression betting system with a simple premise — double your bet size every time you lose. The long-term logic behind this strategy is that when you use it on even-money bets, you’ll be able to recoup the losses that have built up following any losses.

This guide takes a closer look at this system, including the different variations and how to use it to play games like blackjack, roulette, and baccarat.

What is the Martingale System?

Martingale betting emerged in the 18th century as a viable attempt by players to manipulate the odds in games of chance. It’s a progression system, and like all progression systems, you must either decrease or increase the size of your bet when you lose. With the Martingale in place, you double the size of your bet every time you lose.

The most crucial point of the Martingale system strategy is that the wins should be sufficient enough to cover the losses and leave you with a small profit. It’s primarily used in casino games like roulette, with equal application via online casino apps or at your local casino.

The Martingale system is designed for bets that pay even money, such as odd/even, red/black, 1–18, and 19–36 in roulette. The aim is to make small winnings from an initial bet, making the Martingale one of the key roulette betting strategies around.

Nikita Jones

Casino & Betting Editor

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Expert Insight

In roulette, you have a 48.6% chance of landing such a wager due to that green zero socket on the roulette wheel. These bets pay even money, or 1:1, so roulette is probably the best game for the Martingale system. However, the system also applies to even-money wagers such as Pass and Don’t Pass in Craps or the Player bet in Baccarat.

Using the Martingale System in Practice

Say you want to use the Martingale strategy in roulette. Here’s how this roulette system works in practice. The table minimum is $1, so you decide to start small, and it’s a smart decision since you’ll be able to recover the losses faster without risking too much of your bankroll.

So, you’ve placed a $1 bet on black, and the ball landed on red. For the next round, you are supposed to bet twice as much, or $2. You lose that wager as well, so the next one should be $4. If you get it right, you’ll be looking at a payout of $8, which is enough to cover the stake so far ($7) and give you a $1 profit.

Let’s say that you’ve placed a $5 bet on black, and the ball landed on red. For the next round, you are supposed to bet twice as much which, in this example, will be $10. If you lose that wager as well, the next one should be $20. If you continue to lose, the stake grows to $40, $80, $160, and $320. After you win this bet, your stake will then revert back to $5.

Here’s another example, this time using $10 wagers on even-money (1:1) bets on an American Roulette table.

Martingale Double Downs Explained

With this system, you double your opening bet until you earn the same amount. Effectively, you are staking 2x the amount of your previous bet.

Unless you go above the table limit or your budget disappears, it is not uncommon for you to lose multiple games consecutively. An example of this is found below.

1. You win with a $10 stake. You receive $20.
2. You lose the next game with a $10 stake. $10 is lost.
3. You make your first double down by betting $20 in an attempt to recover the $10 lost prior and win $10.
4. The bet loses, taking your balance to -$20.
5. The second double-down bet is placed at $40. Your bet loses again, giving you a balance of -$60.
6. A third double-down bet is placed at $80. You win and take your balance to $10.

Best Casino Games for Martingale Betting Strategy

The Martingale system relies solely on the near-equal probability of even money bets found in roulette, baccarat, and blackjack. Essentially, it boils down to a near coin flip when you select your wagers.

In fact, the principle of doubling the bet after a loss, creating a scenario where a single win can recover all previous losses and yield a profit equal to the original bet, is only available in these games.

Pros & Cons of the Martingale Betting System

For all the advantages that come from the Martingale betting system, there are a couple of drawbacks, too. Let’s take a closer look at both.

Different Versions of the Martingale System

There is much more to the Martingale strategy than meets the eye. This is because there are multiple variations of the system. Although based on a similar notion, the adaptations below take the strategy in different directions.

Martingale vs. Other Roulette Systems

Martingale is not the only doubling roulette strategy out there. Let’s take a closer look at other roulette systems you can use in top offshore online casinos with different versions of the game.

D’Alembert System

The D’Alembert system bears some resemblance to the Martingale one since both are negative progression betting strategies, meaning you will increase the stake when you lose.

It’s a flat progression strategy, not nearly as aggressive as the Martingale betting system, but it won’t be bringing in any huge wins either.

Like the Martingale strategy in roulette, it works best with even bets, like red/black, even/odd, and 1–18/19–36, all of which boast the probability of a payout close to 50%. Experts claim that starting with the bet that’s just 1% of your bankroll is the best way forward.

Cover-the-Table

Cover-the-Table is a roulette strategy where you hedge your bets against the losing outcome by covering as many wagers as possible. There are many ways to cover the table, especially at new betting casinos with loads of roulette games, but the fact remains — it is a risky proposition for a small profit.

For example, you can bet on 35 numbers minus the zero and place a $1 bet on each. If one of them comes through, you will be looking at a profit of $1. However, if the ball lands on the zero, you lose all.

Final Thoughts

The Martingale system is a great strategy for casino bets that involve near-coin tosses. It capitalizes on doubling bets after losses to recover losses quickly. It’s also simple, and the promise of recouping all losses with a single win is what makes it the go-to roulette system for many beginners. Why not try it out at the play-money tables to see how it works for you?

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