The Martingale System |
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| The Martingale
system can probably be considered the original betting system for
roulette. It's possibly the oldest and the easiest system for
playing roulette, and some people swear by its effectiveness, while
other people with a more mathematical bent scoff at this system.
Since roulette is a negative expectation game, I'm of the opinion
that using the Martingale system for your betting is no better and
no worse than any other kind of betting. The Martingale system is a system that is normally used with even money bets, like the "black" or "red" bets on a roulette table. (Any of the bets that pay even money will do for this system.) You begin by placing a single unit bet. If you win, you pocket your winnings. If you lose, you bet again, but this time you double the size of the bet. Then if you win on this new bet, you'll win back the bet you just lost plus one unit. The Martingale system would work perfectly if you had the following in place:
The problem is that no one has an infinite bankroll, and even if you did have an infinite bankroll, you'd still run into a brick wall as soon as you reached the table betting limit. Suppose you start with a $1 bet at a table with a $500 maximum. The progression would look like this:
It takes a relatively small number of lost bets to get to your table maximum. And even if you never get that many bets, you'll still only wind up winning one unit. Eventually you will hit a run of bad luck, and chances are you could lose a significant number of units. There's nothing wrong with using a Martingale system for roulette betting. One of my friends who is much smarter about most things than I am uses the Martingale whenever he plays, and he insists that it's a good system. As long as you understand that the odds of the game don't change, and the house still has the same percent advantage, then you're just fine playing with a Martingale. Just don't expect to get rich unless you hit the progressive jackpot while playing Roulette Royale. |
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