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Roulette Martingale Strategy Guide | LeoVegas

Roulette Martingale Strategy

Gambling is one of the most popular hobbies shared by people all over the world at the moment. Many of us like to head over to either physical casinos or take advantage of new online casinos to play a huge variety of games. Different people like different things: some go on the likes of slot machines, others play poker or blackjack; however, one of the most popular games for new gamblers and veterans is roulette.

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One of the main reasons roulette is so popular is how luck-based it is. There isn’t a lot that you can do to impact the outcome of the game and this means that if someone is new to the world of online gambling, they don’t feel as much pressure when playing roulette.

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That being said, there are some strategies out there that veterans of the game will use in order to play on the different titles that are available to them.

Different Roulette Systems

There are a number of different roulette systems available. The main reason for using a roulette system is to structure your play for effective bankroll management. They vary in terms of the risk involved and the potential payout.

When you are thinking about a strategy you would like to implement into your roulette game, it’s important that you take a minute and think about why such a system is actually supposed to work.

Some of the most popular roulette strategies that get used in the modern game include the following:

  • The Kavouras bet
  • Tier et Tout
  • The Hollandish
  • Labouchere strategy
  • 4 Pillars System
  • Oscars Grind / Pluscoup
  • Reversed Labouchere with Stop Loss
  • D’Alembert and Reverse d’Alembert
  • Romanosky Winning Bets
  • Single Dozen by Palestis
  • Paroli Progression (Parlay)
  • The Martingale

As discussed above, all of these different strategies come with varying risks and the potential payout is also different depending on which you choose to use. Here, we are going to specifically focus on the Martingale strategy and Paroli Progression, as we talk in more detail about how you might use them.

What Is the Martingale System in Roulette?

The Martingale system is arguably one of the most famous systems across all of the roulette games. This means that a lot of new players seem to rely on it too much, although experts completely undervalue it. As such, its true value remains to be somewhat unknown. The fact of that matter is that this is considered by many as a beginner strategy and therefore is a great reference point if you are new to the game of roulette.

The actual strategy goes all the way back to well before Las Vegas was even a twinkle in the gambling industry's eye. The first documentation of the Martingale strategy is in the 18th century and is rumored to have been started by the casino owner John Martindale (the name of the system and its apparent founder are not too dissimilar). It is worth noting that Mr Martindale didn’t actually use the system himself, rather, he insisted other patrons did and promised that in doing so, they could win large sums of money.

The fact remains that using the Martingale system comes with both pros and cons. Thanks to the luck that roulette surrounds itself with, no system is a sure thing.

How to Use the Martingale System in Roulette?

The approach to using the Martingale system is relatively straightforward and simple. There are a few variations of the Martingale system but the majority of them revolve around increasing or decreasing a bet following a loss. The system only works with games that you have a 50/50 chance of winning, hence why it is perfect for roulette.

If you were to use the traditional Martingale system this would simply mean doubling the bet whenever you lose. If you win then the cycle begins once again. The logic behind using the Martingale system is that when you win a bet, you are going to be winning the highest bet of the current cycle.

When you look at the game at a first glance, it appears to be an easy approach to any games that have a 50/50 outcome. While this is true to a certain extent, the Martingale system brings with it a number of different pros and cons.

What Are the Pros and Cons of the Martingale Roulette Strategy?

Like every system that can be used in roulette, the Martingale system comes with its fair share of both pros and cons.

The Pros

The initial pros of using the Martingale system include that it is easy to play. If you are new to the game of roulette, simply getting used to the board and the speed of the game is already quite difficult. As such, if you are to choose a system, it’s a good idea to choose one which is quite easy to pick up, so you can begin applying it correctly almost right away.

In the same vein, another benefit is that you don’t need to memorize any complex equations in order to apply the Martingale system to your roulette play. A lot of other systems use maths a great deal and whilst this can be effective, it’s hard to do if equations are not your forte. This isn’t something you need to worry about when playing with the Martingale system.

Finally, thanks to the popularity of online casinos, it’s important you develop a system that can be used in both physical casinos and digitally. The Martingale system can be used effectively on both.

The Cons

One of the main disadvantages that come with using the Martingale system is the fact that there is a large amount of risk involved. If you are increasing your bet with every loss and you are unlucky enough to catch yourself on a losing streak, you have the potential of losing a significant amount of money.

The odds are against you with the Martingale unless you have a large bankroll. It’s important that when you gamble you are only doing so with an amount that you can afford to lose. If you have quite a limited budget then the Martingale system might not be for you. If you can only place a limited number of bets, the minute you’ve placed these bets it’s game over.

How Does the Paroli Roulette System Work?

The Paroli system works basically in the opposite way to the Martingale, in that after a win, you should double your bet and play with your winnings, but then after a loss you should start back at the beginning with your initial bet. The Paroli system also works well for bets that have even chances, such as those in roulette like red-black, odd-even, high-low.

Again, there are benefits to this system as it is simple, straightforward and can be used online as well as in physical casinos. A lot of people also prefer it to the Martingale system as the odds aren’t against you as much.

Martingale Strategy Roulette: Frequently Asked Questions

What is a reverse Martingale strategy in roulette?

Similar to the Paroli system, the reverse Martingale strategy is a form of gambling where you will half a bet after every loss and then double it after every win. It is effectively the exact opposite of the Martingale strategy, hence the name.

Does the Martingale system work in roulette?

There are no guarantees in roulette, a luck-based game. In order for you to use the Martingale system, you should have access to a reasonably large bankroll. A limited bankroll could increase the risk of being unsuccessful.

How can the Martingale system fail in roulette?

One of the issues with the Martingale system is that the longer someone plays, the more likely they are to experience a bankrupting loss. Statistically, there is a 0.001% chance of losing a 50/50 bet more than 9 consecutive times, so if you have a large bankroll, you should be able to keep playing a while but if not you run the risk of losing your bankroll.

Are streaks important in the Martingale strategy for roulette?

Streaks are not important within the Martingale strategy because every bet is placed independently of any other.

Does the house edge matter for the Martingale strategy in roulette?

The house edge doesn’t matter as much with the Martingale strategy as it is only applied to bets that are 50/50.

Who created the Martingale strategy?

There is speculation but it is widely considered that the Martingale strategy was originally created by John Martindale in the 1800s.

Learn about other roulette strategies in our guide: