Reverse Martingale Roulette Strategy
Does the Reverse Martingale Roulette Strategy really work? We answer that question, explore the numbers behind it, and explain how to use this system inside.
- Reverse Martingale Roulette Odds
- Reverse Martingale Roulette System Review
- Reverse Martingale Roulette Success Stories
- Reverse Martingale FAQ
Reverse Martingale Strategy
Nearly all negative progression betting systems have a reverse strategy, thus making them positive progression systems.
One of the oldest is the reverse Martingale roulette strategy (which is also known as Paroli). For those who are unfamiliar with the classic Martingale, it is a simple double your stake after each losing bet strategy. The reverse system works the opposite way, you increase the size of your stake only after winning bets.
So, is the reverse Martingale roulette strategy better than the traditional negative progression system? What are the pros and cons associated it? And, will using the reverse Martingale help you win more cash when you next sit down to play? Let’s take an in-depth look at this popular betting system to find out the answers.
Reverse Martingale Roulette Odds
There’s an old saying, ‘Make hay while the sun shines’ which we believe sums up the reverse Martingale. Whereas the classic system is classified as high risk, this one is at the opposite end of the spectrum.
Essentially, you are flat betting when you lose whilst trying to cash-in on a winning streak. To begin, you must decide how much your base stake will be. Let’s take a look using £1:
| No. of spins | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stake Amount | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| Win / Lose | L | L | L | L | L | W | W | W | W |
| Profit / Loss | -1 | -2 | -3 | -4 | -5 | -4 | -2 | 2 | 10 |
As you can see, it is possible to make good profits with the Reverse Martingale even if you lose more games than you win. However, it’s not really as black and white as that. For instance, if we had won the first four spins and lost the next five, we would have ended up minus £5.
Just to be clear, this is a betting system - pure and simple. The casino maintains its advantage, which is 2.70% for European roulette and 5.26% for American roulette. Therefore, the actual reverse Martingale roulette odds are no different in terms of gameplay. This is the Achilles heel of all systems and strategies - you can’t overcome the house edge in the long run.
Reverse Martingale Roulette System Review
If you decide to use this roulette strategy, you are advised to place your chips on red/black, odd/even or hi/lo. These are the bets which are closest to having a 50% chance of winning. You can use it elsewhere on the roulette table but you’ll face far more losses than wins, which means you need a much larger bankroll to support these losing streaks.
For our reverse Martingale roulette system review we calculated the chances of winning ten spins in a continuous row:
| No. of spins | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chances of winning (%) | 48.6 | 23.7 | 11.5 | 5.6 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 0.65 | 0.31 | 0.15 | 0.07 |
It depends which side of the fence you are on in relation to your thinking in regards to probabilities. For example: to calculate the probability of winning two games in a row, we do: 18 ÷ 37^2 or in its long form: (18 ÷ 37) x (18 ÷ 37) = 23.7%.
However, each spin of the roulette wheel is totally independent, so the actual odds do not change for the game itself, it’s merely the chances of you guessing correctly a continuous number of times. Considering this evidence, it’s imperative not to get too greedy using the reverse Martingale strategy because you are going to run out of luck at some point.
A massive advantage this positive progression system has over its classic counterpart is table bet limits. Casinos quickly cottoned on to the negative progression strategy and imposed maximum bet limits. This prevents a player from constantly doubling until the win comes. The reverse strategy doesn’t suffer from this problem because you increase on winning bets. This makes if bankroll-friendly and easy to implement at any table.
Ultimately, the success of any betting strategy depends on the order of a player’s winning and losing bets - and of course, this is the great unknown every time you play. Just to highlight this fact. The table shows a 50% win ratio, yet because every loss was on a double bet, you are losing more money than you are winning.
| No. of spins | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stake Amount | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Win / Lose | W | L | W | L | W | L | W | L | W | L |
| Profit / Loss | 0 | -2 | -1 | -3 | -2 | -4 | -3 | -5 | -4 | -6 |
Reverse Martingale Roulette Success Stories
All betting strategies have their own weaknesses, and this one is no different, but there have been reverse Martingale roulette success stories told by players down the years, so how do you get the best out of this strategy? Below you will find some pointers - but you can also read our Martingale system tips guide.
One of the most popular methods that has come to the fore is ‘three wins reversal’. This means when you get three wins in a row, you reverse back to the start and begin again. Using the probability table above, you still only have an 11.5% chance of landing 3 consecutive wins, so even this isn’t easy. The table below illustrates how this could work. As you can see, spins 2, 3 and 4 each win. That was the end of the cycle, so for spin 5, we reset back to our base stake of £1. Even though we lost 60% of the games (6 out of 10), we still ended up with a small profit.
| No. of spins | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stake Amount | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Win / Lose | L | W | W | W | L | L | W | L | L | L |
| Profit / Loss | -1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Interestingly, using the same sequence but applying it to the classic negative progression Martingale, we would be -3 after losing the tenth spin.
Some players prefer a more cautious approach where the cycle ends after only two consecutive winning spins (table below). Again, it allows you to lose more games than you win because of the double up bet.
| No. of spins | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stake Amount | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Win / Lose | L | L | W | W | L | L | L | L | W | W |
| Profit / Loss | -1 | -2 | -1 | 1 | 0 | -1 | -2 | -3 | -2 | 0 |
Reverse Martingale FAQ
Does the Reverse Martingale work?
It's a risk strategy that can produce huge payoffs in the short term. However, it will not decrease the house edge or improve the RTP of a roulette game.
Which roulette game works best with Martingale strategy?
French Roulette is the best wheel for even money betting systems like the Martingale and Reverse Martingale.
How much can I win with the Reverse Martingale?
Theoretically, you can win infinitely. However, the chances of this happening are virtually zero.
Which is better: Martingale or Reverse Martingale?
Reverse Martingale is the riskier of the two strategies as you are actively doubling up as opposed to reactively. Choose the strategy that suits your betting style best.
