Is the martingale method the best way to play roulette?
Martingale’s status in the roulette community is immortalised. Newbies are wowed that it even exists, whereas professionals and seasoned players are somewhat dismissive of the strategy. But what’s the truth about this interesting stratagem? Is it something to swear by – is it a pitfall to avoid? The best way to find out is to test, but testing can be costly – unless you use a dedicated Martingale betting calculator. This tool is actually a great way to assess the risks and see what benefits there are.
Why a calculator you may wonder? Well, Martingale is a strategy that works. It can help you win more money than what you started with. The strategy is designed to be conservative – in other words, it is designed for the inevitable disaster that is the fact that you will eventually lose to the money.
But this preparedness makes players far more resilient and, if Martingale is used with understanding of its limitations, it’s a perfect strategy for experienced and new players alike. Let’s find out why.
Martingale – simple and easy
To begin with Martingale is a simple and easy strategy that you will be able to follow through completely. It boils down to a simple premise – bet on the Even Money bets. Bet on them because they have a near 50% chance of winning. This means:
- Odds/Even
- Red/Black
- High/Low
This being said, you do want to play at a European roulette, that is a single zero roulette wheel, that has no special rules, and that gives you the lowest possible house edge. This way you will be able to make the most out of the strategy.
You also want to bet the lowest possible amounts – whether this is $0.20 or $1. It will really depend on your personal preferences but a general rule of thumb is that Martingale will eventually blow in your face. The higher the starter bet is the sooner this is likely to happen (although not necessary).
With this in mind, Martingale works in the following way – you bet $1 and lose. You bet $2 and lose. You bet $4 and lose. That is, you double the amount you have just lost in a bid to recoup your losses. When you eventually win you go back to $1. Or, $0.20 if you are a far more conservative player.
Does Martingale work in roulette?
Yes, Martingale does work, but you would be best advised to use a betting simulator. Basically, the strategy will work for a while – it may be 100 rounds, 500 rounds, or even more than 1,000 rounds! You may break even, win a lot, or end up losing some.
There is no real way of telling, and this is why we need to revisit what we told you at the beginning- Martingale follows a cold number-based logic, but to know when to pull out of a session will really boil down to your own experience and gut feeling.
Basically, you don’t want to run the risk of losing your winnings, and if you are already in a losing streak, you might wonder if you want to continue. This is valid – and this is the problem with giving you a straight-up answer whether Martingale works.
It’s very good at what it does. Basically, the strategy allows you to control your budget, to account and anticipate for some of the risk, but it will be forever haunted by the fact that the house edge will eventually click and hit back against the player.
Therefore, Martingale works, with the caveat that you need to “know” when to pull out. A betting calculator can help you test numerous situations and perhaps help you develop the gut feeling you need to anticipate a bad outcome.
The published material expresses the position of the author, which may not coincide with the opinion of the editor.