Martingale Casino Gambling Strategy
Martingale is one of the most famous betting control systems in gambling; it is popular because of its ease of use and theoretical losslessness. It is time to determine whether the Martingale casino system for US players always brings the desired result and its advantages and disadvantages.
- What Is Martingale Gambling Strategy
- How Does Martingale Casino System Work
- Is the Martingale System Allowed in Casinos
- Doubling Gambling Strategy Types
- What Is an Anti-Martingale System
- How to Use Martingale Casino System
- Risks When Using the Martingale Strategy
- Games to Use the Martingale System
- Strategy Work in the Long Run
- Pros & Cons of Double Bet Gambling Strategy
- FAQ
What Is Martingale Gambling Strategy
This technique has the name of a London casino owner, John Henry Martingale; supposedly, it was he who first used this system in the 18th century. The main reason for the strategy’s popularity is its simplicity: any newbie can master it in a couple of minutes. In simple terms, its essence is just doubling your bets until you get a win.
Martingale seems to be a win-win system; assuming you have unlimited money and the online casino has no betting limits, you can play forever and constantly stay in the black. However, several limitations do not make it possible to use the system successfully in the long run.
Intuitive Analysis
The main problem with Martingale is that having information on previous results does not mean you can guess the outcomes of further bets. Everything is random, and the results of losing and winning bets do not depend on each other.
Mathematical Analysis
Because of your limited bankroll and maximum limits set by online casinos, Martingale does not bring success in the long run.
However, without these restrictions, you can use the Martingale gambling strategy for US users to bet on equal odds; theoretically, it can bring stable profit.
Doubling Casino Strategy Examples
Casino fans often use this system to play roulette. Let’s say you have a starting bankroll of $50 and bet on black. After the first spin of the wheel, the ball stops on the red number, so you lose but double your next bet. It is $100 on black again, and if red comes up again, you bet $200 — continue until you win.
The Martingale strategy can be effective just for equal chances bets, where the probability of winning is 50/50 or close to it. Do not forget that the bet size increases exponentially.
Suppose you win an $800 bet when the ball stops in the black sector after the wheel rotation. You get $1,600 as a payout, compensating for previous expenses and making a net profit of $50.
| Bet Number | Bet Amount, $ | Total Consumption, $ | Outcome | Profit, $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | 50 | 50 | Red | 0 |
| Second | 100 | 150 | Red | 0 |
| Third | 200 | 350 | Red | 0 |
| Fourth | 400 | 750 | Red | 0 |
| Fifth | 800 | 1,550 | Black | 50 |
This is a simple example where you have to risk $1,550 to win $50, but keep in mind that a losing streak can be much longer, and you can also raise your bet size by more than twice as much.
Betting & Doubling Up
Even if you play at a large online casino with high limits, start with small amounts; it is better to use the minimum table limits. Then double the bet size after each unsuccessful outcome: this way, you compensate for all expenses of your previous rounds and also make a little profit.
The principal strategy’s essence is to keep doubling your bet after unsuccessful outcomes. After you win, you change the bet size to its initial value, and everything continues according to the same scheme.
Theoretically, it is possible to double your bet after losing indefinitely, covering losses and making a small profit after a series of failures, but in fact, the system is not perfect because of the casino rules and your limited bankroll.
How Does Martingale Casino System Work
The Martingale gambling theory is based on the impossibility of endlessly repeating the same outcome; if you bet on the same result with a 50% probability, in the long run, it will alternate with another almost the same frequency. This is the basic principle the strategy uses, and your actions are as follows:
- Regarding your bankroll, choose the size of your first bet.
- Choose an online casino with a suitable game where you can bet on equal odds: roulette, craps, and baccarat are suitable. Remember that a draw is possible in baccarat, but it is pretty rare.
- If you lose, double your next bet.
- Repeat until the result is victorious.
- After a successful outcome, change the bet size to the initial amount or finish the game.
Regardless of how much you lost before winning, one win covers all costs and provides you with a tiny profit.
Is the Martingale System Allowed in Casinos
At first glance, this strategy may seem an ideal and win-win, so many newbies have a simple question: is the Martingale system allowed in casinos? In fact, gambling sites have a lot of specific rules and restrictions, according to which you can not count cards in blackjack, re-register on a website, abuse bonuses, and so on, but the Martingale strategy is allowed; you can use it wherever and whenever you want.
System Legitimacy
And here comes the second question: why do online casinos not prohibit this technique? The answer is pretty simple: each gambling site sets limits on the maximum bets, which do not allow you to bet large sums and win back after a long series of losses.
Frankly, players themselves often do not have enough bankroll for more than a few bets, because amounts grow exponentially.
Doubling Gambling Strategy Types
Above, there is an example of the standard Martingale system, but it also has several versions; the basic principle is similar, but there are minor differences.
Mini Martingale System
The peculiarity of this variation is that it limits the number of doubling bets. Using it, you avoid significant losses, keep your bankroll, and play longer, but at the same time, you compensate for losses less often.
In the long run, Mini Martingale provides the same probability of winning as the standard one.
Reverse Martingale
If you use these tactics, you should increase your bet after winning, not after losing. Reverse Martingale reduces costs, but it is essential to stop in time because you will lose the whole amount accumulated by doubling winning bets in case of an unsuccessful bet. To do this, you need to determine the desired amount of winnings and stop the game immediately after reaching it.
Grand Martingale
The basic principles are the same as for standard Martingale, but after each unsuccessful outcome, you double the bet amount and add the bet size itself. The problems of using this variant are obvious: there is a risk of losing a large sum faster, and it is more difficult to fit into the limits, but if you are lucky, the net profit will be higher.
What Is an Anti-Martingale System
This is the same Reverse Martingale or Double Bet gambling strategy we mentioned above; it works as follows:
- You determine the total bankroll amount you can spend on bets and the winning amount, after which you will stop gambling.
- Make your first equal odds bet.
- After each win, you invest the whole amount, including the initial bet.
- After you lose, you return to the initial amount.
You can profit with Anti-Martingale only if you have a winning streak; achieving this result is very difficult, so the tactics seem to be less risky only at first glance. The game continues until you lose your bankroll or reach the desired amount.
How to Use Martingale Casino System
The most effective way to use this technique is making outside bets on equal odds in roulette, such as:
- Small (1-18) or Big (19-36) numbers
- Red/Black
- Even/Odd
Any of these bets covers 18 numbers, which gives you nearly a 50% chance of winning, or 48.6% to be exact because of the Zero sector. Remember that in American roulette, there is also a double zero, because of which the house edge is higher.
Outside bets provide the lowest payout odds, just 1:1, so you win the amount equal to your bet; however, risks are minimal, and the frequency of these payouts is much higher. When betting on equal odds using Martingale, the progression looks as follows: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1,024, 2,048, and so on, which means you constantly double the bet amount until a successful outcome. However, keep in mind that if the series of losses last for more than 10 rounds, there may be problems with the betting limits.
Risks When Using the Martingale Strategy
Despite its attractiveness, the system is very risky, as it requires having a large bankroll and depends on the casino limits. If you do not have enough money, you will quickly run out of funds in case of a long losing streak, and you will not be able to keep doubling your bet to make a profit. If you start with $1, you will need to deposit $2,048 in the 12th round, and your total cost will reach $4,095, so think it through carefully.
This graph clearly displays how quickly your costs increase because of the geometric progression and do not forget that after the first win, you will earn only $1.
Remember that according to a basic Martingale strategy, your net profit always equals your initial bet.
Games to Use the Martingale System
The system’s effectiveness depends on the selected game category of gambling, bankroll amount, and your starting bet size. Moreover, you need to choose only those games where you can bet on equal odds, as the winning probability should be 50% or close to this value.
The amount of your bankroll determines how long you can double your bets after losses, so if you want to play with Martingale for a long time, make a huge deposit.
Do not forget the limits set by gambling sites; choose a starting bet amount that you can increase at least 5 times in a row. You do not have to study how to use the Martingale strategy in gambling for dozens of games because you can use it only in a few.
Roulette
This is a perfect game for trying the doubling technique, as there are three options for betting on equal odds: black or red, even or odd, and small or large numbers. Let’s view how Martingale works in roulette with the help of a table below.
| Bet Number | Bet Size, $ | Result | Total Consumption, $ | Profit, $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | 1 | Loss | 1 | -1 |
| Second | 2 | Loss | 3 | -4 |
| Third | 4 | Loss | 7 | -7 |
| Fourth | 8 | Win | 15 | 16 |
| Fifth | 1 | Loss | 16 | 0 |
In this example, it took 4 bets to cover the previous costs and make a net profit of $1; after winning, you return your next bet to the initial amount.
Blackjack
Since this card game involves only the player and the dealer, odds are almost equal if you do not consider the additional bets in some blackjack versions. The principle is the same: double the amount in each round until you win.
If you have a strong hand, there is always a great temptation to double your bet to maximize profit; bear in mind that this is a valid tactic while playing blackjack, but it breaks the doubling strategy scheme.
Other Games
In addition to roulette and blackjack, you can use the Martingale system in any other games with an opportunity to make equal odds bets; choose games with the same probability of two bets coming up. The strategy’s effectiveness decreases and volatility increases when probabilities deviate, so you have to wait longer for prizes and spend more money. Baccarat and craps are also suitable for this strategy; slots are not suitable because of the high volatility compared to table games.
Strategy Work in the Long Run
In the long run, no variation of Martingale or doubling gambling strategy at casinos works. The whole issue is the maximum casino limits, as they also limit deposit and withdrawal amounts per day, week, and month, and do not forget about restrictions on the sides of many payment services.
Roulette Odds
Most often, casino fans use this roulette strategy to make outside bets on equal odds; in the European and French versions, the winning chance of equal odds bets is 48.6%. There is no 50% because zero provides the house edge. Keep in mind that roulette results do not depend on your actions: there is complete randomness and luck.
Table Limits
The range of minimum and maximum bets depends on the selected table. You can sometimes spend a few thousand U.S. Dollars, but you need more for a big win; in this case, it is better to use tables with higher limits. However, at them, minimum bets are larger, respectively, and you reach the maximum boundary faster.
Pros & Cons of Double Bet Gambling Strategy
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Easy-to-learn technique, even for beginners | The strategy is win-win only in theory |
| Winnings cover all expenses and bring a small profit | Effective only when betting on equal chances |
| There are 3 types of strategy, which gives you the possibility to choose | Limits are relatively strict |
| The system is not banned by casinos | Losing streaks lead to fast spending your bankroll |
