Albert Einstein once said that the only way to win at roulette is to steal the money directly off the table. Interestingly enough, scientists have recently used Einstein’s own physics to disprove that point, using cameras and sensors to track ball speed and make reasonably accurate roulette predictions.
If you don’t have a team of scientists and $100,000+ of lab equipment at your disposal, you’ll want to develop a system instead. Meet: the Martingale Strategy—a roulette strategy that many players swear by.
Understanding the Martingale Roulette Strategy
The Martingale Roulette strategy is often used for loss recovery. Players implement this strategy by doubling down every time they lose. Start with $10, lose, bet $20. Lose again? Bet $40. Each time you win, you recover your losses plus the amount of your original bet.
The idea is that you will eventually recover all of your money and potentially walk away with a modest win depending on where you wind up in the progression. For example, if you win after three losses, you’ll recover your $70 in losses plus win your original $10 bet.
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You do need to worry about table limits. If the limit is lower than the bet you need to make, that will effectively end your Martingale campaign.
It looks like this: $10 → $20 → $40 → $80 → $160 → $320 → $640 → $1,280
Just seven losses put you at a $1,280 bet. From a table limit perspective, you’ll usually be okay. While limits can range pretty dramatically, it’s not usually hard to find a cap that starts in the five-figure range.
What about your personal bankroll? Martingale gets expensive fast. You don’t want to wind up in a spot where your roll has run out and you still haven’t hit.
The other issue? You need nerves of steel. It takes a special kind of player to lose money and keep betting more. Watching your required bet size grow exponentially can break even experienced gamblers’ resolve.
The Paroli Betting System
The Paroli system reverses the equation. Here, you double your bets when you win. Because winning streaks have their limits, Paroli adherents will usually only try for three in a row before reverting to their standard bets.
The nice thing about Paroli is that bets only grow as your bankroll does, taking much of the risk out of the equation. If you start with $10 and win, you bet $20. Win again? Bet $40. After three wins, you’d be up $70 and return to your original $10 bet.
The unfortunate thing is that it is less mathematically certain. Martingale is imperfect, but the calculation is at least sound—you will eventually win if you have unlimited funds and no table limits. Paroli offers no such guarantee.
Think of it as riding a wave. When you’re winning, you press your advantage. But you can just as easily forfeit your winnings on the next spin. The strategy protects your initial bankroll better than Martingale but offers less certainty of recovering losses.
The key difference is psychology. Instead of doubling down on losses, which can feel like chasing bad money with good, you’re increasing bets during hot streaks. This makes the system more enjoyable for many players, even if it’s not mathematically superior.
Do Systems Make Sense in Roulette?
That really depends on the player. Systems introduce a component of control into a game that is shaped mostly by chance. That said, both systems are imperfect. Is it better to rely on a flawed betting method or just cut loose at the table and focus on having a little fun?
Every player has their own answer to that question. If you are going to experiment with systems, you should make sure they align with your goals and your comfort level.
Imagine yourself at the table as a dedicated Martingale aficionado. Typically, you would not bet more than $100 on a spin—and even that only on a night when some house money has found its way into your pocket. But, you understand the Martingale math and you are ready to give this system a try.
You hit a losing streak. That $1,280 figure we mentioned earlier comes up. Okay, you think. It’s a lot, but it is part of the Martingale process. You lose.
Do you have the steely resolve to put up $2,400 on the next spin? Or almost $5,000 on the one after?
If your answer is no, Martingale probably isn’t right for you. That’s okay.
Systems or not, gambling is at its safest when you understand your comfort level and only bet what you can afford to lose.
