The Martingale roulette system is known to most real and online casino gamblers; it is in practical use for more than two centuries. In general, the Martingale is not just a roulette system: it is in-tended to manage your bets and leave you a final winner. Its idea looks as follows: starting with your minimum chosen bet, each further bet should cover the losses of all the previous ones in the current gaming session. In case you win, you get back to the initial minimum bet and start a new session. Your bets should be made on even chances - either Odd and Even, or Red and Black. It is easy to see that when gambling according to the Martingale system, you make your bets under the simple doubling progression. For example, if your minimum starting bet was 1 dollar, your second bet, if you lose, will be 2 dollars, then - 4 dollars, then - 8, 16, 32, 64, 128 dollars, and so on.

Let us look at a simple example. We put 1 dollar on Black - the Red occurs. Then, we put 2 dollars on Black again - the Red occurs. We bet on Black again - this time 4 dollars - and follow the pro-gressions until the Black occurs. In this case your last winning bet will cover all your previous losses and bring you 1 dollar of revenue. Thus, you might assume that the Martingale is a lossless system. However, you should keep in mind two important conditions. Firstly, you should have enough money to stand through a losing session: sooner or later, your winning color will occur. Secondly, there should be no limit on the maximum bet.

Example of bet growth in progression under the Martingale system:

Bet #	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Bet Size	$1	$2	$4	$8	$16	$32	$64	$128	$256	$512
Occurred Color	B	B	B	B	B	B	B	B	B	R
Bet Outcome	-$1	-$2	-$4	-$8	-$16	-$32	-$64	-$128	-$256	+$512
Total	-$1	-$3	-$7	-$15	-$31	-$63	-$127	-$255	-$511	+1

This second condition is the main casino's argument. None of them will let you increasing your bet endlessly; otherwise, they would have long gone bankrupt. Also, you should not forget about Zero in the European and Double Zero in the American roulette. These bets also play into the casino's hands and minimize all the benefits of the Martingale system.

Apart from direct application of the Martingale system in practice, there are various modifications of the system. Many gamblers make use of the Stretched Martingale. The aim of this system is to avoid reaching the bet limit. However, bets under the Stretched Martingale system are made not on even chances but on a particular number. The main assumption is that within 80 wheel spins any chosen number should occur at least once; therefore, bets are made in a special manner. You choose the starting minimum bet, say, 1 dollar, and bet 1 dollar on your chosen number during the first 35 spins. If after these 35 spins you do not win, you double the bet and make it until the 53rd spin in-clusive. If there is no win by that moment, you triple the bet and use it up to the 65th spin inclusive. Then, if you are still losing, of course, you quadruple your bet - up to the 74th wheel spin, and in-crease it fivefold up to the spin No. 81. Under this system of bets, your win that occurs at any move will cover all your previous losses.

Example of bet growth in progression under Stretched Martingale system:

Bet #	Jan-35	36-53	54-65	66-74	75-81
Bet Size	$1	$2	$3	$4	$5

Another version - the American Martingale - is also very popular. It usually used at bets on third-chances. At every loss, the bet is increased under the Martingale progression. However, you should bear in mind that the American Martingale is applicable at rather short sessions, since the maximum bet for the table may come rather quickly; but your win may make you happy, especially if your dozen occurs rather soon after the start of a new session.

Example of bet growth in progression under American Martingale:

Bet #	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Bet size	$1	$2	$4	$8	$16	$32	$64	$128	$256	$512
Occurred Dozen	2	2	1	2	1	2	2	2	1	3
Bet Outcome	-$1	-$2	-$4	-$8	-$16	-$32	-$64	$128	-$256	+$1,024
Total	-$1	-$3	-$7	-$15	-$31	-$63	-$127	-$255	-$511	+$513

To compensate the main drawback of the Martingale system (limit on the bet size), the Offset Martingale system was developed. However, it also has its defects, namely: you can gamble using the Offset Martingale system only on the common table. What does it mean? In order to start betting, you have to wait for the occurrence of one and the same even chance for several times in a row (for example of Black if they bet on color, or Low at bets on High and Low). That is, the casino should let you making idle spins. In a real casino, it is done at the common table, where you can just watch the game without betting. In an online casino, finding such a table is rather difficult. The main idea of the Offset Martingale system is that you postpone the start of betting until some specific signal. Suppose you see occurrence of Black for four times in a row. Now, you make you minimum bet on Red and further gamble under the classic Martingale system; that is, you put on Red a double bet, if you lose, and so on. This is the Offset Martingale system: you have offset the start of betting by 4 spins. If you wish, you may wait till five occurrences of the same outcome in a row, and then start betting. The system allows a rather long postponement of the maximum bet, at the same time decreasing your chances to lose. However, the Offset Martingale system needs much more time for gaming.

The Martingale system has found its embodiments in other roulette strategies. For example, the sys-tem "All chances at a time" is direct evidence: under this system bets are made on even chances but with a little distinction from the classic Martingale. Imagine, you have decided to gamble on Even and Odd. The Even occurs; then, you put one chip on Even, and two chips on the Odd. If Even occurs again, we put one chip on it, and four chips - on the Odd. If you have the Even again, you put one chip on it, and already 8 chips on the Odd. As soon as the Odd occurs, we shall get back all the previously lost chips. Here, the main rule of the Martingale is at work: the win should cover the losses. At an unhasting game and short sessions of Even and Odd, you will always be on the plus side. This system allows equally gaming at all even chances: Red and Black and High and Low.

The Parlay System looks very much like the Martingale one - its main similarity is in a mirror-like betting principle. While under the Martingale system bets are doubled in case of loss, under the Parlay system we do the opposite - bets are increased in case of win. However, unlike the Martingale system, where return to the initial minimum bet is defined by the win condition, in the Parlay System, the gambler defines the return moment. And here, it is important not to make a mistake, since wins cannot last forever, although there is a temptation to win much. Someone defines his or her return point after three wins in a row, another gambler - after four ones. Everybody decides by him- or herself based on one's fervor. Some gamblers treat the Parlay system as AntiMartingale or Reverse Martingale, and it has sense.

The principle of doubling the bet in case of loss is used in one more system, known as One and a Half Dozen. However, this is the only similarity. Unlike the Martingale system, bets under the One and a Half Dozen are made on High and Low, and on the first and third dozens. Besides, the bets can be made in two different ways: on Low and the third dozen, or on High and the first dozen. It should be noted that gaming under the One and a Half Dozen system in the online casino is problematic, since you need to make your bets at particular moments, while doing the so-called "free wheel spins". In a real casino, at the common table such gaming is more comfortable. With you gaming sectors chosen, you make your bet only after two occurrence of losing sectors and after you skip one free spin.

The Martingale system can also be helpful when betting under the Carsch system; and although this latter system is based on a search of common benefits by color and High and Low between the current occurred sector and the previous one, the bet size can be regulated under the principle of double increase in case of a loss. Under the Carsch system, bets are made on 9 sectors and on High and Low. Suppose a black sector from the High area has won; your next bet is on Zero, on absolutely all black sectors of the Low, and a bet double to the size of the sum of 10 previous ones. For example: 1 chip on Zero; one chip on all black sectors from the Low, and 20 chips on the High. In case of a loss, as mentioned above, you may double your bet in accordance with the Martingale system.




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Old Article Text:

This gambling technique has been around for more than two hundred years. Even though the Martingale system is rather risky, many gamblers still use it, hoping to beat the casino. It should be noted right away, that this technique is only applicable to short gaming sessions. A lengthy game using the Martingale method can lead to huge losses, however, even knowing that such a risk exists, many gamblers are still determined to win.

The most popular way of using the Martingale strategy is doubling the bet, in case of losing the previous bet (used when playing with two colors). When the gambler wins the bet, he must place the minimum bet again. In order for the reader to understand what is meant by this, let us examine a series of bets on the black. The minimum bet is $1. Nine times in a row the roulette ball lands on red and afterwards it lands on black and the player wins. If the player doubles the bet every time he loses, the tenth bet will grow up to $512. In the end the player will win a total of $1. While it may seem like unjustified risk at first glance, in reality similar cases occur not that often - usually the player wins on the 4th-5th try.

The disadvantage of using this Martingale method is the fact that sometimes a player may lose the bet even 10-15 times in a row. In this case the player will usually come out the loser, because each table has a limit on of bet size and because the player himself might not have enough money to cover the increasing bets.

The American and extended Martingale methods are also pretty popular. These methods are less risky than using the original Martingale system in a two color game. Let's discuss each of these methods deeper.

The American Martingale method is used when playing the game on third-chances. Every time the player loses, he should double his bet. The winning bet will, as a result, bring the player a higher amount of winnings than playing a two-color game. It should be noted, that this method is not very effective in a long gambling session.

The extended Martingale system is also based on the principle of doubling your bet each time you lose. However using this method the player's chances are significantly higher. The point of extended Martingale is betting on the same number. If during 36 betting rounds the original bet does not pay for itself, the player needs to double the bet. If the bet wins the amount of the winnings will be: the size of the bet multiplied by 36.

Whatever system you decide to use, you must remember that the possibility of losing is present in any case and if you are unlucky you may lose all your money.