Like many things in the world of gambling, the Martingale System dates back to France in the 18th century, when gambling was arguably even more popular than it is today. Despite being one of the worst gambling systems around it has remained well known and, sadly, well used. Here we explain briefly what it is and why it is far from foolproof.
What is the Martingale System?
Martingale is a form of staking plan that is predominantly used for roulette but which can be used to play any of the best online casino games that offer a roughly even chance of winning, such as blackjack or baccarat.
Whenever you win you profit by one unit and whenever you lose you double your stake, thus ensuring that on your next spin/hand you will win and, overall, be one unit up. Many people stumble upon the idea of the Martingale System, or something similar, by themselves, and think they have discovered the holy grail of gambling – a system that cannot lose.
Whenever you win, even if that's after two losses, three losses or even 10 or more losses, you will always be one staking unit in profit… you really can't lose right?
Should I use it?
No! No! And, just to be sure, NO!
Martingale is heavily flawed, at least as a method for making a long term profit, let alone a guaranteed profit. Under conditions that could never exist in the real world it is indeed a guaranteed money maker. However, not even the best online casinos, or the biggest and best that Las Vegas can offer, boast such conditions.
For Martingale to guarantee profit you would need a casino with no maximum bet, you yourself would need unlimited time and unlimited money, you would need a casino that never closes and you would need the nerve to bet tens, hundreds, thousands or even millions of dollars all just to make a proportionately tiny profit.
Martingale may deliver a short term profit but play it for long enough and you will hit a long losing streak. Moreover, this could happen the very first time you use the betting system and it will almost certainly happen sooner than you think. When such a run comes you will find you hit the casino's staking limit or, more probably, lose all your money and, crucially, because of the house edge, that loss will be bigger than all your accumulated wins previously.