The Martingale system is a popular betting strategy that informs you of how much to wager on casino games like roulette and blackjack, as well as sports. The idea behind it is to increase your bet whenever you experience a loss, as a way of recovering those funds. It can be highly effective, especially for those with a higher bankroll, but you need to ensure you’re using it correctly, and on the right games, to benefit from it.
Through the course of this guide, we’ll highlight how this system works. We’ll look at what it is, how to use it, and how to use the reverse Martingale betting strategy.
What Is the Martingale System?
A martingale serves as a class of betting systems. They originated from 18th-century France, where they remain popular to this day.
The simplest Martingale system came about for a particularly simple game, too. In that game, a gambler won the stake if the toss of a coin resulted in it landing on heads. The opposite was true if the coin landed on tails with the Martingale system. That simple strategy saw the gambler double their wager after every loss, as a way of recovering the funds lost in the previous round. Of course, in this situation, a gambler is almost sure to eventually flip the coin and see it land on heads.
It is with that idea that the Martingale strategy was almost certain to make money for the person using it. While some gamblers have applied the Martingale system to placing bets on certain casino games, others have used it more so for their sports betting activity. The reason it is so popular with gamblers, is that in theory, it seems like a sure-fire way to earn a profit. In practice, it’s an entirely different scenario, though. Various factors come into effect when betting, such as wager limits, bankroll limitations, casino regulations and even gambler’s fallacy.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Chance of winning back the amount lost
- Ideal for short-term wagering
- Great when testing out a new table game or online slot
- Good for seasoned bettors with potential for recouping of losses
Cons:
- Just a few losses in a row can result in vast wagers being placed and your bankroll suffering.
- Some casinos set caps on the maximum bets allowed, so the Martingale system could become useless if you suffer a few subsequent losses
How the Martingale System Works
The basic idea behind using the Martingale strategy for betting is to double your wager after every loss.
Let’s say that you start a bet on roulette with a $1 wager and this loses. With the Martingale system, the next round would require a wager of $2. Should you lose that one, you proceed with the next round placing a wager of $4. This continues until you reach a winning round. By that point, you should have recouped any losses, and you start from the beginning. So, in our example, you would return to the initial wager of $1 after a win.
Below, we’re going to use the example of betting on Premier League soccer. Let’s say that the standard bet per game is $100. To apply this betting pattern, here’s how it would proceed (using that initial bet size of $100 and even money odds):
Game 1: Burnley vs. Manchester United
- Risk – $100
- Result – Loss
Game 2: Arsenal vs. Nottingham Forest
- Risk – $200
- Result – Loss
Game 3: Sheffield United vs. Crystal Palace
- Risk – $400
- Result – Loss
Game 4: Bournemouth vs. West Ham
- Risk – $800
- Result – Loss
Game 5: Brighton vs. Luton Town
- Risk – $1,600
- Result – Loss
Game 6: Everton vs. Fulham
- Risk – $3,200
- Result – Win
Total Profit: $100
Now, let’s say that all of those are even money wagers with no vig included. The Martingale strategy was fairly useful in this situation, as there was a profit of $100. But the player had to risk $3,200 in game six, which is a monumental amount to win the initial $100 back. Multiple games need to be wagered on for the Martingale system option to come into effect properly.
We’re going to expand the Martingale system example now to show you how it could go in a game of roulette, with a low wager of $1. Here’s what this looks like:
| Bet | Result | Profit/Loss |
| $1 | Win | $1 |
| $1 | Win | $2 |
| $1 | Loss | $1 |
| $2 | Loss | -$1 |
| $4 | Loss | -$5 |
| $8 | Win | $3 |
| $1 | Loss | $2 |
| $2 | Win | $4 |
| $1 | Loss | $3 |
| $2 | Loss | $2 |
| $4 | Loss | -$2 |
| $8 | Loss | -$10 |
| $16 | Loss | -$26 |
| $32 | Win | $6 |
| $1 | Win | $7 |
In this Martingale strategy example, you lose nine of your 15 wagers, but you still end up $7 in profit from it.
It does have the potential to wipe out losses in a single swoop, with a series of small wins being a part of the generalized Martingale strategy.
The point to remember about Martingale betting online is that you should always return to the initial bet when you experience a win. If you suffer a series of losses one after another, then you could see your bankroll dip swiftly. As a result, you may not have enough funds left to complete the doubling up that this strategy requires, either.
The best course of action to take when you see the wagers increasing beyond what you’re comfortable with/able to afford, is to walk away and come back another day to try the Martingale strategy.
On Which Games Can You Use the Martingale Strategy?
Besides the Martingale betting system for sports and roulette wagering, you can use this system in several instances, as we’ve highlighted below.
Roulette
According to research conducted by Nigel Turner, the Martingale system can be beneficial for a few wins, but the longer you play, the more you’re likely to lose.
Of all betting opportunities to use the Martingale system with, though, online roulette is perhaps the most popular. The Martingale roulette strategy will only work on even chance bets, so there are three key options when engaging in the game – red/black, odd/even, high/low.
So, your chips are wagered on one of those options – red, black, odd, even, 1-18 or 19-36. Of course, the hope is that your bet will win, regardless of what you’re playing. If you do win, then you bet a single unit once again for the next round. If you lose, then with the Martingale betting system, you double that bet for the next round instead.
Continue doubling up (and betting on the same option) until you achieve a win. Then, reduce your wager back down to one. The strategy is then repeated throughout your gaming session.
Blackjack
With blackjack, you need to ensure that you place a rigid wager amount as your starting unit for the first hand. Then, depending upon whether this wins or loses, you stick with that unit or double it up.
Of course, other factors can come into play when using a progressive betting strategy.
Let’s say, that you start with a $1 wager. Using the Martingale betting system, you win the round and proceed on with another $21 wager. That round becomes a loss, so you wager $22. Then you lose again, and this pushes your bet up to $24. A third loss means you must wager $8 on the next blackjack round. Yet when you are dealt out your first two cards on this round, they equate to 11. Normally, this would be an ideal time to double down when playing blackjack.
Choosing to double down at this point is a good idea. Yet it also throws off your Martingale betting system. To ensure you adhere to the strategy, you have to forgo the opportunity to engage in double down or to split hands as well.
Baccarat
Double your wager whenever you suffer a losing round and keep doing this until you achieve a win in baccarat with the Martingale betting system. You then return to the original stake. Baccarat games are almost 50/50 propositions, because most often, either the banker or the player hand will win. The system, though, won’t lower the house edge on baccarat games, table limits will likely be in place on all versions of baccarat, and you also need to have a decent bankroll, just in case a losing streak is experienced.
Success in using the Martingale system in baccarat depends on three main factors. It’s not like you can proceed with counting cards, like you sometimes can in physical casinos or live dealer baccarat games. Instead, you need to factor in:
- minimum bet
- table betting limit
- how long you participate in baccarat
High RTP Slots
Slot games are a different entity when it comes to Martingale betting. This is because rounds play out at a faster speed, there are no cards involved, and you can often reach high betting levels very quickly. That’s why it is ideal to choose a slot game with a high return to player (RTP) rate, as you can expect to get more out of them over time. There is still a risk even with these games, though.
Let’s say that you choose to play a slot game with a 99% RTP rate – we’ll use Relax Gaming’s Book of 99 as an example. This promises the opportunity to receive $99 back for every $200 wagered. That figure is worked out over thousands of slot spins, so there’s nothing saying that you will always get this from the slot, because it also depends on how long you play for (and how far your bankroll stretches). You start with the lowest bet amount of $0.10. The spin is over in a couple of seconds, and it’s a losing one. This means you up the bet to $0.20. Another loss occurs. You suffer several losses in a row because this game is also a high variance release.
You’ll need to consider certain variables before deciding to use the strategy when playing an online slot, including:
- RTP rate
- Variance
- Payouts of different symbols
- Special feature rounds
Martingale System for Sports Betting
The process remains the same for sports when you use Martingale betting – whenever you lose a bet, you increase the amount you’re betting on the next one.
You’ll need to know how to calculate the odds of sports properly so that you can apply the Martingale system to your betting. Alternatively, you can place wagers on sports markets with even odds, so the only calculation you need to make is to double the stake if you lose a bet.
If your idea is to recoup losses, you need to calculate the stake of the next wager accordingly. Thus, you need to work out the odds of the previous losing bet and compare them with the odds of the current bet, then adjust your stake for it.
The higher the odds, the less you need to bet to break even. The lower the odds are, the opposite is true.
So, you can use the formula of total loss ÷ decimal odds = your stake. So, let’s say you bet $10 on an even sports event, and you lose it. The odds on the next match stand at 1.25. So, to work out your wager for it, you calculate $10 ÷ 1.25 – 1, which equates to $7. That’s the minimum wager to try and break even. If you want to gain profit on top as well, you’ll need to bet a bit more.
The Analysis of Conventional Betting Strategies in Sports Betting offers up handy diagrams demonstrating the success of this betting system on sports.
Anti-Martingale Strategy
The anti-Martingale, or reverse Martingale system, works in the opposite way to the standard Martingale strategy for casino and sports betting. Instead of doubling your wager when you lose a round, you do so when you win.
The anti-Martingale is looked upon as being better for big win goals. It is also much riskier when it comes to session losses.
The following rules should be followed when it comes to using the anti-Martingale system:
- Played on even money bets
- Determine your winning goal and your bankroll size
- The winning goal should be an equal number, divisible by 2
- Your first bet should be a single unit
- If the result of the last bet is a loss, stick with your wager amount
- If the result of the last bet is a win and you haven’t achieved the winning goal, then double your previous bet
- If the result of the last bet is a win and the winning goal has been achieved, then you leave a winner
Reverse Martingale
The Reverse Martingale system also goes by the name of Paroli. It’s the same concept as the anti-Martingale strategy. Today, this system is used more so on roulette and baccarat than it is on any other casino game. Yet it can still be utilized on betting options that have around a 50% chance of providing a winning payout.
With this betting strategy, you’ll want to keep flat betting on a casino game until you achieve a win. So, if you’re starting at $1, adhere to this unit until you manage to pick up a victory. Then, double that bet for the next round. Experiencing another loss will see you return to the initial wager.
The logic of the reverse Martingale betting strategy is based on the idea that wins and losses usually occur in streaks, yet this falls into the gambler’s fallacy category. The theory is that by betting more during winning streaks and less during losing streaks, you are more likely to come out on top in the long run.
You should prepare for a lot of losses if you use the reverse Martingale system. The odds aren’t in your favor to begin with, and like the standard Martingale strategy, this variation does nothing to minimize the house edge.
Hot Hand
Hot hand is a betting strategy where a gambler expects a run of fortune to continue and not reverse at all. That concept frequently applies to sports or skill-based tasks, but also to gambling. The phrase ‘hot hand’ comes from basketball, where a shooter is more likely to score if their previous attempts were also successful (thus, they have the “hot hand” to score).
As with gambler’s fallacy, this isn’t applicable in most situations. That’s because gambling outcomes are never guaranteed. Thus, hot hand – if you believe in it – is something you may experience with any kind of casino game or sports betting. As a result, the Martingale system could be enacted with it, but it would seem slightly pointless considering you need to lose to increase your wager.
Popular Betting System Alternatives
The Martingale system and its reverse version aren’t the only betting systems in use today by online gamblers. There are several other alternatives to the Martingale betting system.
- Card Counting – Ideal for games like blackjack and baccarat, the basics of counting cards assigns a positive, negative or zero value to each card. When a card is dealt, the count adjusts by that card’s counting value. This way, you always know what has been dealt, and this determines the value of the cards left in the deck.
- Oscar’s Grind – This sees the outcome of wagers evenly distributed between two results of equal value. Users need to calculate the size of bets so that in the event of a losing streak, if and when a same-length winning streak hits, a profit is obtained.
- d’Alembert System – Using this strategy, you increase your bet amount by a single unit after a loss and decrease it by a single unit after a win.
- 1-3-2-6 System – This can be ideal for sports bettors. All you do is repeatedly stake on units 1, 3, 2, and 6 on every round if you win.
- Kelly Betting – This system is more for experienced gamblers. If a gamble has a 60% chance of winning, for example, and the gambler gets a 1:1 odds on winning a bet, then the maximize the long-run growth rate of the bankroll, you need to wager 20% of the bankroll at every opportunity.
- Labouchère System – Also known as the ‘Split Martingale’, this system is best used in roulette games.
Martingale Strategy Betting Tips
While there are no guarantees with anything, here are a few tips to keep in mind with this strategy.
Don’t Go Overboard
It may seem like doubling up when you lose isn’t strong enough to recoup losses. Some people turn to the Grand Martingale system instead when they’re looking to gather more money. This sees you not only double up on a loss but add another unit to the top. As a result, your risk is increased, and it can result in your bankroll suffering immensely.
Don’t be tempted by such a move with Martingale betting, because in the end, you’re only putting your money at risk. Stick to the system as it is and see how well you do. If it’s not working for you, try something else.
Stick to Short-Term Betting
The longer you play casino games with the Martingale system, the more likely it is that you’ll end up losing. The odds are against you with this system, as they are with anything, but Martingale strategies only work well in the short-term.
Manage Your Money
Because Martingale betting requires you to double up after every loss, it isn’t ideal for someone whose bankroll is limited. After a few losing rounds using the betting strategy with Martingale system, your funds will be depleted.
Start with the Minimum
Start with the minimum bet so you can spread your bankroll out across as many Martingale wagers as possible and stand more chance of being able to recoup what has been lost after a losing streak.
The Call of the Martingale Is Ringing in Your Ears
Do you think this betting strategy is the right one for you? Well, you could put it to use in some demo rounds of online roulette or baccarat, perhaps. Maybe you can try it out for real money on live dealer games, where you can see the cards being dealt out. Whatever the case, we wish you success. Just remember our advice, the hints and tips, and also, don’t forget that you can always walk away and come back another day.
FAQs
Is the Martingale system permitted in online casinos?
Online casinos have no say over the kind of betting system you use on their available games. This means that the system is very much possible to use when playing them online.
What are the odds of losing with a Martingale strategy bet?
The odds of losing when placing a Martingale system bet are exactly the same as the odds of losing without a Martingale strategy being in effect. This system won’t alter the odds in any way. You’ll still have a roughly 50/50 chance of the outcome being in your favor.
Which games can I use the Martingale strategy on?
It is most effective on games that provide even money betting options. Thus, online roulette, blackjack and baccarat gamers tend to get the most out of it.
Is the Martingale system a good betting strategy for online games?
The Martingale strategy can be a good betting strategy to use if you have a large bankroll and you locate a table game with broad betting limits. It has more chance of failing if you are likely to run out of money quickly or come up against narrow table limits, though.