The Martingale System: Double Up Bets

The Martingale System is probably the most famous betting system there is. It is used in all sorts of games, from blackjack, to baccarat, and, perhaps most famously in roulette. This site is dedicated to this betting strategy. We explain it's pros and it cons, and we take a look at any pitfalls behind the system. Please be careful when using this system- it can be useful when used properly, but it is also quite aggressive. Make sure you are fully aware of its advantage and disadvantages. Never chase losses- always set yourself a stop loss limit.

Best Casinos That Accept Martigale Bets on Roulette
Not all casinos will allow Martingale bets- we list the best casinos below that accept players who wish to use the Martingale.

120x60All British.
Martingale Bets Accepted - play 3D roulette here.
One of our favourite roulette casinos. Play NOW

120x60Casino Max.
325% Bonus Offer to $9750 on slots.
100% to $1000 on table games. Play NOW

120x60Royal Vegas.
€/€/£ 1200 bonus at Royal Vegas.
A lovely design, with the 20 free roulette spins
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120x60Spin Palace.
€/€/£ 1000 bonus.
Another roulette specialist that has all the latest variants. Play NOW

The Martingale System- A Quick Run Through

A Martingale stratetgy need not apply to just roulette bets. in fact, it is probably easier to explain the system with a simple coin toss. This is not a new system- it's been around since the18th century.

Let's say you are betting on a coin toss. Heads or tails. You win your bet back (plus your original stake) if you predict correctly, and lose your bet if you don't- so a bet with a 1:1 pay-out, like the red/black bet in roulette.

In the Martingale roulette system, you collect your bet after a win, and double your bet after a loss. The theory is that if you keep doubling your bet, eventually you will win, and when you do, you will wipe out all your previous losses plus make a profit equal to your original bet.

Assuming you had an infinite amount of money in your bankroll, the theory goes that you will eventually get the result that you predicted.

Sounds Like a Winner, Where's The Catch?
Well, in theory, this all sounds great, right? If you are betting red, and black comes up, just keep betting red and double your bets after each loss, and you will eventually win. The catch, of course, is that no gambler has infinite wealth (you can of course play safer by starting off with the lowest bet you can). The bets in Martingale ramp up very quickly. Even if you start betting with $1, your betting profile goes: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, etc. You can see that after 9 losses, you are betting $256 to win $1. What looked like a good return at the beginning of the profile, starts to look a little crazy if you lose more than 7 in a row.

But 7 reds in a row? 7 heads in a row? That's unlikely isn't it? Yes, but it happens. And also remember, that in roulette, you also have a 0 pocket, so your possible outcomes are red, black or green (0). The odds are slightly less than 50/50 (your odds are 47.4% out of 100 to be precise).

Table Limits
Another challenge you have when playing the Martingale in roulette is the table limits. Casinos generally set a maximum limit on the amount you can bet on different types of bets. So for the outside bets like red/black or odd/even, this might be, say $300. Again, this limits your ability to double your bets to cover your losses. And just remember, that every spin of the wheel is a mutually exclusive event. The wheel has no memory. So if you have seen 6 reds in a row, and you are about to bet $64 to make a profit of $1, your odds of landing a black are exactly the same as the odds on the first spin. Or the second. or the third for that matter. 

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