There are a few impressive casino systems that have been used to beat the house in the past, but none are quite still widely-used as the Martingale Betting System. As one of the oldest betting systems first designed to use in coin toss games, gamblers discovered it could be applied to roulette, craps and other kinds of casino games as its popularity soared throughout the years.

While it’s never been considered a fool-proof system for success, it’s one that players continue to use on casino games online and offline even now. 

What is the Martingale System and How Does it Work?

The Martingale System was developed by a man called John Henry Martingale, who at one point owned almost all of the UK’s gambling houses. His simple theory was that once a gambler has incurred a large number of consecutive losses on a casino game, the laws of probability delineate that they have a 50% chance at winning a bet eventually.

As a result, the gambler is supposed to double their stake after each loss, then reduce their bet size back to their original betting amount once they win. By going back to their original bet after every winning bet, they will eventually recover all of their previous losses. 

Different Types of Betting Systems

From the D’Alembert System to the Paroli to the Fibonacci System, there’s no doubt that each has its own unique set of principles and methods for success, however, they are all common in the fact that they are progressive betting systems, which in a nutshell, is a simple concept based on altering your bet size after each stake placed. 

There are positive and negative betting systems in gambling and the concept is the same for both; positive involves increasing your stakes when you win and reducing when you lose, while negative progression encourages you to increase your bet amounts when you lose, and decrease once you’ve achieved a win. 

The Martingale System, as you can probably conclude, is a negative betting system, and there are several variations of it you can apply to craps, roulette, blackjack and baccarat. 

Traditional Martingale – Classic Martingale is the one we’ve described throughout this article. When a player uses the classic system on a game of roulette, the 0 pocket (or the double 00 in American roulette) is a problem, because the player can’t win on zero. The player can only adjust their bets and apply the logic of the strategy if the ball hits red or black. 

Great Martingale – The Great Martingale System is more ruthless compared to the original theory, but it works in a very similar way. Like the standard method, players are encouraged to double their bets when they are at a loss, but instead of simply doubling up their stake at this point — they add a bit extra on top of their bet. The idea is that once the player eventually hits a win, they can expect a larger return on their bets. 

Mini Martingale – The miniature version of the Martingale System is one that comes with possibly the biggest advantage in comparison to the other formats. Why? Because this strategy enables you to put a cap on the amount you double-up as bets, which in turn saves you from losing large amounts of cash at the speed you would if you were applying the traditional methods. 

Anti-Martingale – Many players consider the Anti-Martingale the most reliable and safest variation of the strategy. The system is played exactly the same as the original version, just in reverse. This essentially means that instead of the player increasing their bet after a loss — they double their wager after a win. Think of the Anti-Martingale as the optimist’s approach to using the system. 

The Pros and Cons

Even though many players have had success by sticking to the principles of the Martingale on games like roulette and blackjack in the past, it’s not always guaranteed to work. There are several advantages and disadvantages to using it routinely when gambling. 

Pros 

  • Applying the Martingale System can be a great way to generate wins in a short period of time.
  • The principles of the strategy have been mathematically proven to work in cases where a player doesn’t incur a long-lasting losing streak.
  • The system is incredibly easy to understand and suitable for both beginners and experts; and 
  • Players get the chance to increase their bet sizes slowly, thus, preventing them from losing large amounts of cash in a short space of time.

Cons Gambling Addiction

  • Success highly depends on what variation of a casino game a person is playing, the odds attached to different betting options, and the size of a player’s bets. 
  • Some casinos place restrictions and limits on the amounts people can bet with, meaning even if you recover your losses, you’re still likely to end up with much less than what you had lost overall.
  • Streaks of prolonged losses can quickly lead to a player wiping out their entire bankroll; and
  • If a player is solely relying on the Martingale System to dictate their gameplay every time they gamble, it can actually be a huge risk in the long-run.

The Bottom Line

All in all, the Martingale System can work on a variety of different casino games, but it only really benefits players who are prepared to part with most of their cash. If you’ve got good bankroll management and a lot of cash to play with, the system is essentially guaranteed if you are increasing your wager after every loss. 

For players looking to achieve small and regular wins, the system can still be applied without having to go as far as doubling your wager. It’s also quite useful for if you’re a beginner hoping to recoup some of your losses on a game, but could be a risky strategy if you’re not smart about your bets to begin with.  

 

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A Massachusetts native, blogger Angeline Everett grew up in the Allston neighborhood of Boston and earned a degree in casino management from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. After graduating, Angeline moved to Atlantic City where she joined the young team at the Borgata Casino as a compliance representative, while blogging on the side. After a few years in the back office, Angeline moved to the floor to work first at a casual poker dealer and later casual poker floor supervisor. Fascinated with games of chance since she was a child, Angeline currently divides her time between blogging and work on her first book.