Casino table games have been around for quite some time, and during that period, there have been many strategies devised by players to maximize their winning odds. While some of these can certainly assist you in being a better player, many simply don’t work or have unrealistic probabilities. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at one of the most popular strategies in live casino roulette – the Martingale strategy. Let’s see if utilizing this approach can help you secure big wins and if it’s worth incorporating into your everyday gaming sessions.
What is the Martingale Strategy?
Before we can decide on whether or not this roulette strategy is worth considering, let’s see what the Martingale system even is and how it can potentially assist you. In general, this is considered to be one of the easiest tactics for players to use, as it doesn’t require them to know the ins and outs of roulette, which is why so many beginner punters look into it.
The premise is very simple. You have to choose an even money bet to initially stake your money for. This means that you should place your bets on either the red or black options, the high or low options, or the odd or even options. These are the bets that offer players a near 50/50 chance of winning, which is perfect for this sort of strategy.
Once you’ve decided on where you’ll put your money, it’s time to make an initial first bet. If you manage to attain a win with your first stake, all you have to do is repeat the process of betting the same amount. If you end up losing, you have to double your next initial bet which can potentially return your invested money plus a net profit of the first bet you’ve placed.
The martingale system revolves around you investing double the amount you’ve previously invested for every consecutive loss. The idea is that at some point the almost 50/50 chances have to be on your side, and you will end up with all of your funds returned plus the profit from the initial bet.
And, that’s pretty much it. You can see that this is a very easy roulette system to follow, and in theory, it sounds like there are no ways for you to lose money at the end of the day. Because of this, thousands of beginner players try out the martingale strategy without thinking about potential consequences.
The reality is a bit different, and while using this system can benefit you in securing some wins, it’s important to know all the cons of this strategy. There are many things you should look out for if you’re looking to use this tactic, and we’re here to tell you all about them.
Past Outcomes Don’t Determine The Future
One of the main reasons why many punters rely on the martingale strategy is because they believe that past outcomes determine the future of upcoming outcomes in roulette, but that simply isn’t true. Each wheel spin is an independent event and there is no correlation between past and future rounds.
This is essentially a superstition that a lot of people tend to believe in, but you mustn’t do it. Just because for the last 5 rounds the winning numbers were even doesn’t necessarily mean that there is a higher probability that the next one is going to be an uneven number.
The probability of outcomes in roulette is always the same, and they never change based on what happened earlier. Believing otherwise can affect you negatively, and can ultimately result in you losing a lot of money. Keep in mind that everything revolves around percentages and that there is no way for you to predict what can happen in the next roulette spin.
Budgeting Concerns
The second thing you should think about when considering using the Martingale strategy is what kind of budget limitations you have. As you can probably imagine, doubling down after every loss usually requires you to have a lot of funds at your disposal, and that is something not all players have.
Even if you’re starting with a minimal initial stake, it can grow exponentially in a matter of minutes, especially if you encounter a loss streak early on. This is something that isn’t sustainable for many, and that is why a lot of beginner punters end up losing their entire casino balance very quickly when trying the strategy.
If you’re looking to use this tactic, you need to be ready to potentially expend a lot of money. Having just a little bit of roulette experience will show you that having consecutive losses is nothing out of the ordinary. Those who don’t have a lot to spare on online gambling won’t have a good time trying the martingale strategy.
It’s also generally not advised for you to invest in this if you don’t have years of experience with the game. There have been many instances where inexperienced players play roulette for the first time just because they are trying to “exploit” the strategy, which almost always ends up backfiring on them because they couldn’t keep up with the losses.
Casino Table Limits
Another very important thing to keep in mind is the fact that most live casino roulette tables tend to have limits on how much you can bet for each round. These rules effectively put a stop to the Martingale strategy if you lose consecutively and reach the limit.
Taking everything into account, this is probably the biggest reason why you shouldn’t consider utilizing this tactic. Casino brands are more than aware of this approach, and it’s only natural that they will try and stop players from using it. While for most people the table limit is far beyond their budget’s reach, there are plenty of punters out there who are willing to stake that much.
Generally speaking, if you’re playing with lower to medium-sized bets, you won’t have to worry about reaching the limit, but chances are at some point you will reach your spending cap. Even the most exclusive roulette tables will have maximum betting restrictions, so at the end of the day, in theory, the Martingale strategy isn’t loss-proof.
European Vs. American Roulette
If you’re still looking to try this method out in your next gaming session, then you must know the differences between roulette versions. In today’s time, we have a plethora of different variations of the game, with some adding new mechanics and features that completely change how everything plays out.
You won’t have the opportunity to play these if you’re looking to use the Martingale system, as most roulette titles with interesting mechanics like Lightning Roulette come with an additional betting fee which renders the tactic useless. You will need to play the standard version of the games if you wish to incorporate the strategy.
Furthermore, we recommend that you always play the European version of roulette as opposed to the American version for the simple fact that it has statistically a lower house edge. The European variation has only one 0 socket, while the American has two. You can immediately see why you should avoid playing the American version, especially if you’re looking to maximize your winning chances. Apart from that main difference, there isn’t anything else that separates the two from being identical.
Risks For Mental Health
Apart from having many flaws, the Martingale strategy can also negatively impact your mental health and well-being. As you probably already know, gambling in general is a risky hobby that holds many dangers for those who are not responsible for their safety.
Players who are looking to use this tactic can seriously hurt themselves both financially and emotionally, especially if they don’t recuperate their losses at the end. This can be devastating and can leave you with a big financial problem, which is something you will want to avoid naturally.
You can also easily develop an addiction this way. Chasing wins and expecting huge payouts every time you decide to play is not a good way to look at this hobby. We’ve talked about all the things that make this strategy essentially useless in many ways, so don’t jeopardize your safety because of it. Play to have fun and you might end up being lucky and winning.
Conclusion
In summary, it’s safe to say that the Martingale strategy won’t be worth your time and money in the long run. Sure you can try it out with smaller bets, and you might even see some success, but we do not recommend that you go into this thinking that there is no way you can lose or that you will come out of reach every time. All strategies in the online gambling world have some sort of flaws, and this one isn’t any different from the rest. Remember that at the end of the day, everything revolves around statistics and probability, and casinos will make sure that you can never exploit them.
