The Martingale is probably the most famous roulette system.
Try our free Martigale Simulator below to help you get your head around the pros and cons of this strategy.
The Martingale is the most well-known roulette system around. We take a close look. Try our Roulette Martigale Calculator below to simulate sessions using this strategy.
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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. Lets say you started with a 1.00 bet on red and suffered a sequence of losses. Your betting profile would look like this: 1.00, 2.00, 4.00, 8.00, 16.00, 32.00, 64.00 etc.
Please read the notes at the bottom of the video. This system is most often played on the even money bets.
Martingale Roulette Simulator
Use our Roulette Martingale Simulator tool below to model how Martingale sessions might play out. Remember, historical results are no guarantee of future events – there is no difference between this and forex trading in that regard!
That said, this Martigale Calculator is a useful, risk free way of testing the system out. Choose European or American roulette to guage how that affects your overall result. Select your starting bet, your bankroll, add the table maximum and choose the number of spins in your session. Good luck!
Variants
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.
Video Tutorial- Playing this System
Watch the video tutorial below for a further guide on how to play this popular roulette system.
Play the Martingale on Roulette – 10 Tips.
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 five 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 this 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 other systems 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.
We recommend playing the First Person Roulette at PlayOJO. They have a x2 “Double Your Bet” option that is perfect for Martingale players.
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It is true that the odds of seeing four reds in a row is lower than the odds of seeing two 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 three reds in a row or Bugs Bunny at the table!
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” (!)
Bet on any even-money outcome: red/black, odd/even, or 1-18/19-36. Win and you keep the profit, returning to your base stake. Lose and you double the next bet. When you eventually win, that single result recovers all previous losses and delivers one unit of profit. Simple in theory, brutal in practice when losing runs extend.
Because it wins often. Most sessions end in small profit, which makes the system feel reliable. What it actually does is trade frequent small wins against rare but devastating losses. The house edge never goes away, it just concentrates into big catastrophic swings.
Ideally, at least 200 times your base stake. A 1.00 starting bet requires 255.00 to survive seven consecutive losses. At 5.00 base that becomes 1,275.00. Keep your base stake small: arriving with bigger pockets and a smaller starter bet gives you the most opportunities to double and the best chance of riding out bad runs.
It is the system’s flaw. Once your required bet exceeds the table limit you cannot continue the sequence, locking in your accumulated loss. Look for the widest gap between minimum and maximum. A £1 minimum with a £1,000 maximum gives you nine steps. A £5 minimum with a £200 maximum gives you five. That difference mkight be the difference between success and failure. But think carefully. Do you really want to bet a large amount of money for a vry small payback?
French roulette with La Partage is the best option: half your stake is returned when zero lands, cutting the house edge to 1.35%. European is the next best at 2.70%. Avoid American roulette entirely. The double zero pushes the house edge to 5.26%, which accelerates losses over longer sessions.
Remember, if you play a large number of spins, you will lose at some point. Set a win target and a loss limit before you play and treat both as fixed. A target of 20 to 30 times your base stake per session is realistic. Your loss limit should be money you are comfortable losing outright, not money you plan to recover. The Martingale creates a powerful urge to chase a bad run. That is when the system becomes dangerous.
Raising the base stake mid-session to recover losses faster. It feels like a sensible thing to do but it squeezes your remaining bankroll into less doubling opportunities and brings the table limit into view much sooner. Keep your bets fixed at the base wager for the whole session. Impatience is punished in the Martingale Roulette System.