The Martingale is perhaps the most famous of all betting systems, certainly of those used in roulette.
This gambling system was popular in 18th century France, as was the game of roulette. Imagine you are betting on a 50-50 outcome, such as flipping a coin. In the Martingale, you double your bet on the next round if you lose, so that your first win recovers all of your previous losses. This is, of course, particularly relevant on the roulette table if you are playing the even money bets such as red/black, even/odd etc etc.
Looking at the mathmatics behind this, if you bet an infinite nimber of times, your bet is guaranteed to come up at some stage. In practice, of course, your bet comes up after a lot less than infinity.
There are several pitfalls when playing the Martingale at a casino. The first is the table betting limits. These limit your ability to soak up a run of consecutive losses.
Also, the casino has an edge in roulette. Even money bets, for example, although they pay out 1:1, do not have real odds of 50:50. This is because there is a 0 pocket in European roulette (and 2 zero pockets in American roulette).
Tips for playing The Martingale at Roulette.
If you are going to use the Martingale when playing roulette, make sure you understand the system's strengths and weaknesses and use the following tips:
- Play European Roulette rather than American Roulette. Your odds are better.
- Start your Martingale progression or sequence with a low bet. That way you have room to soak up a decent run of losses.
- Increase your starting bet when you have enough money in the bank to cover any losses- ie when you are effectively playing with the casino's money (your profit).
- Don't be greedy. If you get a decent number of rounds with a good sequence of wins, pull out and take the cash. You can always come back later for another go. Remember, the casino's aim is to keep you at the table for as long as possible. Over the long term, the casino will claw back its money.
- Once you have suffered one full sequence of losses (where you hit the table limit without winning), pull out. Never chase your losses.
