Strategy is an integral part of any casino game. Without it, you’d be spending your money blindly. Learning which strategy works and which doesn’t is part of the arduous journey to becoming a better player in the casino. Today, we’ll be discussing about the Martingale system – a strategy that’s no stranger to both land-based and online roulette players.
A Brief History of the Martingale System
To begin understanding the Martingale system, we’d first have to dive deep into the origins of the system. The concept of the Martingale system appeared roughly 200 years ago before the 18th century and was named after John Henry Martindale. He believed that players can ultimately win by continuing to double their bets.
Martindale
highly encouraged his fellow players to use this strategy (although he has
never used it himself) if they really wish to increase their winning chances in
roulette.
About 100 years later, this strategy finally proved its worth all thanks to a man called Charles Wells who started off with 4,000 francs and went home with 1,000,000 francs!
Since then, the Martingale strategy was used excessively not just in roulettes, but also in other casino games and stock investments.
How the Martingale System Works?
The Martingale system is one of the most straightforward strategies to start out with. It doesn’t require any complicated mathematical equations and is easy for anyone to use. The standard Martingale system calls for players to double their bets after losing a round, and remain the same amount of bet after winning.
To illustrate
this, imagine starting your round with a $2 bet. You lose your bet, so you’ll
have to bet $4 in the next round, followed by $6, $8, and so on, assuming
you’re on a losing streak. Continue this pattern until you win a round, start
betting with $2 again, and the cycle repeats. Do this until you break-even and
start profiting from the game.
According to the
roulette wheel, the safest bets you can place using the Martingale system are
the outside bets. They provide a low payout, but has some of the best odds of
winning.
The Reverse Martingale System
With a similar concept to the Martingale system, the Reverse Martingale system calls for players to raise their bets when they begin their winning streaks. This roulette strategy is the exact opposite of the Martingale system. This means that instead of doubling your bet at every loss, you double it when you win – assuming you’re on a winning streak. Reset the cycle with the lowest bet amount when you lose.
Does It Actually Work?
At first glance, this roulette strategy seems promising – it’s straightforward, there aren’t any complicated calculations involved and the system can be applied to any casino game.
However, if you look closely, you’ll soon realise that it’s not the case. The success rate for using both Martingale systems depends heavily on your luck and your style of playing.
For one, it won’t work on people with a very limited bankroll. On top of that, the house edge gets higher and higher the longer you stay in the game. That’s not to say that you won’t win at all, but you’ll have to be very conscious of the decisions you make in the game to make using this strategy worthwhile.
Does the Martingale system actually work? Yes and no. It’s a risky strategy that’s not made for long-term profits. You’ll have to make a few tweaks here and there to fit the strategy into your playing style to make it work. Nonetheless, it’s a strategy worth trying.