We get alot of queries on The Martingale System- probably more than any other system. Here´s an interesting one: “Would I Get Rich if I Took 5 grand to the Casino tonight and just played The Martingale”?
Well, I doubt you´d get rich, but you could leave the table richer. But you also might leave the table poorer. The standard casino rules apply.
So what is The Martingale, and why does it have such a hold on people (in particular people new to a certain casino game?)
Well, we think it´s because its such a simple concept and when you try it out and it often works quite well in the short term. This is a betting system that is most often played on the roulette table, but it can also be played at craps, blackjack and other casino games.
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In the Martingale, you start off by setting your initial bet level, and repeat that bet after a win. So you´d bet 5 pounds on the red and the red pops in, you´d bet another 5 pounds on the next spin (how you pick you next bet is another story, but most of the time people pay the even money bets like red/black that pay out 1:1).
It´s when you lose, that the Martingale rears its pretty (some would say ugly) head. The whole idea of the Martingale is to claw back any losses you experience (and you will always experience some even on a really purple patch). You do this by doubling your bet on the next round. So let´s say you bet £2 on that first bet and lost. You´d be 2 quid down. On the next bet, you´d bet £4. If you win this bet you are now £2 up overall, as you have covered your previous loss. If you had lost your 2nd bet, you´d be £6 down, but Martingale enthusiasts would say “Hey! Don´t panic! Just bet £8 on the third bet”. If this comes in you´d win 8 quid, so again, you´d be £2 up.
Are you following this? No, neither were we. Funny how listening to explanations of betting systems is very much like listening to explanations of directions. After the first sentence, your eyes glaze over, the mind goes blank and your toungue lolls out of your mouth making faint raspberry sounds.
Martingale evangelists like to think that you are unlikely to see the same result over and over again. At some point, if you are getting reds spin after spin- you will get a black. And then you are back in profit.
So surely the casinos would ban this betting system, right? It sounds like the real deal.
Well, like any system, there are a few catches. You´ll notice that, using the example above, the most you´ll ever win on an individual Martingale when you start off with a 2 quid bet is….2 quid. If you hit a losing streak, and then win at the end, you´ll still just win £2, it´s just that you´ll have to risk alot more to get there and it´ll take you longer (this is why The Martingale is often called the White Knuckle Ride).
Casinos, actually welcome Martingale players with open arms. They love ´em! They are reckoning on most Martingale players getting greedy and going bust before they make a significant profit. There will be ones that walk away up of course (make sure this is you! Be strict with yourself!), but the winners will take a long time to build a sizeable pot, and the longer they bet, the more chance the casino has of getting its chips back.
And why´s that, I hear you ask? Well, for one thing, if you make a bet on the red/black, every now and then you´ll get a green zero. If you are daft enough to be playing American roulette, you might even land a double zero. These extra little losses take their toll after time.
And also, ALL roulette tables have table limits, so even if you did have a bank roll the size of the US national debt, you would be unable to double up on your bets ad infinitum on The Martingale to cover your losses (even if you did want to bet). Lets say you saw 19 reds in a row and started your bet on black at 2 quid. By the 20th spin, you´d need to bet £1,048,576 to cover your losses and make a £2 profit! Ouch.
Look, we´re not going to advise that you never play the Martingale- we play it occasionally, but just follow the tips below if you do play it, and make sure you don´t go crazy. Have a flutter, but don´t go hardcore, is what we are saying.
Top 10 Martingale Tips
