The Martingale Betting System

A very popular betting system based on doubling after loses

Roulette is one of the oldest casino games and a favourite around the world so naturally many people have devised different ways to play the game and a variety of systems to help them achieve the most enjoyable roulette game. It doesn’t matter if you have had years of experience or none, either way you can only benefit from picking up one more roulette system. One of these is the Martingale, which is the foundation of all other roulette systems and is a fantastic start if you are new to all this since it is easy to use and simple to remember, all you have to do is give it a chance.


The Martingale system is one of the oldest around, originally developed in France around the eighteenth century and is basically designed to win back losses if you don’t actually win. It is calculated according to your odds of winning or losing and has been statistically proven to be true in the majority of cases. The fundamentals of this system are straightforward; double your bet each time that you lose, but it is advisable to limit yourself to eight bets. Eight bets would mean doubling your bets eight times so if you start out with a small amount then it will become something too drastic. The good news is that it has been statistically proven that to lose nine times in a row is extremely unlikely – you have a 0.0025% chance in fact.

You place your bet on something that has a fifty-fifty chance like black vs. red or odds vs. evens. When you lose you double the bet and continue that way until you win. The great part of this system is that when you do win, you will have covered all your losses and made a small profit as well. Just be careful which wheel you choose because there is a difference between the American and European wheel which will impact the outcome.

Something else to keep in mind with the Martingale system is that there are house limits, and there are also the limits of your own bankroll. If you hit a losing streak (which unfortunately can happen) your bets can become larger at a scary speed. Of course the table limits will stop you at some point as well. For most tables the higher the maximum limit, the higher the minimum. You can find that at some point you will not be allowed to bet above a certain sum. This is the disadvantage of the Martingale system, you must be careful to limit yourself otherwise you will hit the limit before you make back your money. Still, once you understand the principles of the system, it can only help you enjoy your time at the roulette wheel and that’s what it’s all about anyway!