The Martingale Strategy is one of the oldest and most well-known casino strategy, which has been around for over 100 years. Considered by some to be the best roulette strategy, in today’s article, we’re taking a closer look at the Martingale Strategy from the gaze of a roulette player. Keep on reading to learn more.
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The Martingale Strategy: An Overview
The Martingale Strategy is a negative progression betting system which is optimally used on games with 50/50 odds, such as wagering on red or black in roulette. The Martingale System is thought to have been created in the eighteenth century in France. It gained significant traction when John H. Martindale, (the name developed into Martingale over the years), a casino owner in eighteenth-century London, regularly strolled around his casino floor and encouraged patrons to double their bets after losing.
When gambler Charles De Ville Wells, also referred to as the Man who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo, won more than one million francs playing roulette in 1891, the Martingale wagering system became cemented in casino legend.
How The Martingale System Works: Everything You Need to Know
As we mentioned, the Martingale system is one of the most well-known negative progressive betting systems around. But what do we mean by negative progression? Firstly, it’s important to note that the term ‘negative’ doesn’t refer to anything bad, instead, this type of betting system requires the bettor to change their bet on a losing result, aka a ‘negative’ outcome, which is in direct contrast to a positive progression system when you alter your wager after a win (aka a ‘positive’ outcome).
One of the reasons why the Martingale System is so popular is because it's so simple; even complete casino rookies can implement the system without having to do any extra calculations or needing to learn any metrics which could interrupt their enjoyment of their chosen game; in this case, roulette.
The Martingale System simply involves a player doubling their wager after every loss, and ‘resetting’ it to their original wager when a winning combination is achieved. For example, if your roulette bet is $1, and you lose the round, your next wager will be $2. Lose again and it will become $4. Then if you win your $4 wager will return to $1. The theory behind this system is that over time players should be able to recoup or exceed their losses.
Of course, no betting system can ever predict or guarantee outcomes, and there are plenty of negatives to this system as well as positive elements, which we’ll examine in the next section of this article.
Why The Martingale Strategy Isn’t Perfect
Despite some of the outcomes of players using the Martingale Strategy for roulette gameplay making casino history, we must emphasise that the Martingale Strategy (and all other strategies) are not perfect. Roulette, along with all other casino games, is a game of chance. There’s no way to predict outcomes and no metric that can guarantee consistent wins. While there are some bets which have better odds than others (for example making a wager on a series of numbers, over a single one), there is no way to dictate what outcome will occur or when. Do not trust any article or guide that promises you ‘sure-fire wins’ by doing ‘x’ and ‘y’, because it is simply untrue.
Instead, betting strategies like the Martingale System might be helpful for players looking for a trackable way to manage their bankroll. However, there are some drawbacks to this system. First of all the Martingale System tends to require a larger bankroll to use, as you’ll need to be able to account for losing streaks where your wager continually increases. Secondly, for roulette, the Martingale System is better for generalised wagers like black or red, or odds or evens. The odds of nailing a straight-up wager are slim, so if you use this strategy with a straight-up bet you might find your wagers start to become sky-high and you could fall into the trap of chasing losses.
Our Recommended Tips for Playing Roulette
- Practice Responsible Gaming: Responsible Gaming practices are essential when playing any form of wagering game. Therefore before settling down to play roulette, decide on how long you’d like to play for, and your budget for the session. Stick to these, and if you find yourself becoming frustrated or rash with your decisions cut the session short early.
- Only Play Around With Strategy if You Want To: As we’ve mentioned, some players really enjoy playing roulette with a betting system like the Martingale Strategy as they find it convenient to manage their bankroll or enjoy shaking up their roulette experience by experimenting with different systems. What is important to note is that you do not need any betting system to achieve positive outcomes, or to have fun.
- Have Fun!: This is the most important tip of all! Online casino gameplay is meant to be a fun hobby, with any wins being an added bonus to the overall experience. Don’t be afraid to try different roulette games or even switch up the genre entirely. At Spin Genie you’ll find an extensive array of popular roulette games in both online and live casino versions such as the popular titles mentioned below:
- Auto Roulette - This is a popular roulette variant created by Evolution Live and involves an automated roulette wheel for swifter gameplay.
- First Person Roulette - Also created by Evolution Live, First Person Roulette is an exciting live casino roulette variant that sits players in a first-person perspective to maximise the sense of immersion.
- XXXTreme Lightning Roulette - This is one of Evolution Live’s most popular roulette releases and is a more extreme variant of their smash hit title; Lightning Roulette. XXXtreme Lightning Roulette is played in a flashy studio with a real-life host. Multipliers are added to different numbers each round to jack up the payout potential.
An Important Disclaimer
Remember, betting strategies are meant as guides and cannot guarantee wins. Therefore you should always note the following:
- Using a betting strategy may make you feel empowered or as though you’re ‘beating the system’. However, all casino games (roulette included) are games of chance and therefore there is no way to predict wins or create a 100% success rate.
- In the long run, the house always wins. This is why the house edge exists. The house edge is a percentage value which indicates the advantage that the casino has over the player. The remaining percentage is known as the RTP or ‘return to player’. While certain gaming decisions can minimise the house edge (such as opting for European Roulette over American Roulette), there is no way to reduce the house edge further than its optimal RTP statistic.
- Betting Strategies can be helpful to players wanting to explore the more technical side of gameplay (such as tracking expenditure, bankroll management, RTP and optimal wagers, and so on), but they are not an essential part of playing. Whether you want to experiment with a system like the Martingale strategy, is completely down to you.
- Always gamble responsibly. This is the be-all and end-all of all casino gameplay and should underpin every aspect of your gameplay experience. Set a budget and time limit for your session, don’t chase losses, and when the fun stops; stop. For more information and resources, explore the responsible gaming links at the bottom of every page on our site.
Come and Play Online Roulette Games at Spin Genie
While media such as movies and TV shows present roulette as a high-stakes game for the super-rich, this isn’t the case. Roulette is a simple and fun game that can be enjoyed the same amount when wagering a few pounds, as it can when wagering hundreds. With live casino games, you can access authentic roulette fun in real time 24/7. Just remember to gamble responsibly, and know that the end goal of roulette is to have fun and not earn money.
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