Reverse Martingale
Reverse Martingale betting (also known as Paroli) is one of the oldest betting strategies ever developed. Early evidence suggests that it was used in Italy for a game called Basset in the 16th century.
In today’s gaming world, this system is widely used to play roulette and baccarat, but it can be applied to almost every game that features bets with around a 50% chance of winning, such as craps, sic bo, and even blackjack, after some modifications.
In roulette, it can be used on Red/Black, Even/Odd, and the numbers 1-18/19-36. It’s a progressive system, meaning that you increase your bet once certain conditions are met.
Strategy Overview & Analysis
There is a reason why this system is called the Reverse Martingale. In contrast to the Martingale system, this one says you should double your bet after each win, not after each loss.
You begin by betting the least amount possible on an even bet. If you win, you keep betting flat on the same thing until you win again – then you double your bet for the next spin. The system is reset when you lose, and you place the smallest bet again.
Wins and losses come in streaks, which is the underlying logic of the system. Long term, you can benefit from betting more during winning streaks, and betting less during losing streaks. As you probably are already aware, not everything with the Reverse Martingale is perfect – even though many people claim it is one of the safest and most stable systems.
Advantages to the Reverse Martingale Strategy
You can avoid losing a lot at once by using the Reverse Martingale system. If you always wager the minimum amount, losing streaks aren’t a big problem. You are basically using the casino’s money when you double up, so the amount of money you start with should remain fairly constant until you win big.
Your profits will rise dramatically if you continue to win consecutively. Due to its simplicity and overall safety, the Reverse Martingale is probably the most beginner-friendly system out there.
Some of the Disadvantages
Prepare yourself for a lot of losses if you plan to use the Reverse Martingale system. Remember that the odds aren’t exactly in your favor – all even bets have a 48.6% chance of winning due to the green zero slot.
Playing American Roulette, which has two zeros, will reduce your chances even further. Even though you will lose the minimum wager, you will still lose many games, despite losing a relatively small amount of money on them.
This system also has the problem of erasing all profits with just one loss during your winning streak. Most people do not know when and how to stop – which is why they fail. It is claimed that it is the casino’s money you lose when you gamble. In fact, it’s your winnings that end up going to waste when you break your winning streak.
How to Approach the Strategy
At its core, the system might seem simple, but players must play it correctly in order to get the maximum benefit. Here we summarize some of the most widely used methods of reversing a Martingale.
All Out Aggression
It is obvious that the riskiest approach yields the most rewards. Our topic today is an all-or-nothing playstyle – you double your bet during your winning streak and hope that it continues until you’ve won enough to stop.
Let’s think about it: if you have a chance of getting a brutal losing streak that will cause you to lose all your money, then you have a chance of getting the exact opposite.
It is an easy task to reach the table limit if you can win 8 or 9 times consecutively (0.38% and 0.19%, respectively). Once you’ve cashed in your winnings, you can go home a happy gambler. The chances of this happening are slim, at best.
You can find out about other strategies + of their pros and cons over here.
3-Step Reverse Martingale
To be on the safe side, we recommend that you follow the 3-Step Reverse Martingale strategy. To play with the lowest bid possible, limit the progression of the bet to 3 consecutive games. This table will help you understand the general operation of the method.
The 3-Step tactic works well if there are enough consecutive wins, but fails miserably if there are not enough. The less aggressive strategy has a better chance of leaving you at a profit by using this approach.
Other Modifications
Double-up progression might be too aggressive for some people. It might be a good idea to look at alternative ways of advancing your bet if you are one of them. You can apply the Fibonacci sequence to this method, for example. Obviously, the rewards won’t pile up as fast as they would if you doubled up every win, but you won’t lose everything on one unfortunate spin.
The Reverse Martingale Is Just Like All Other Betting Systems
Reverse Martingale strategies have the disadvantage of accumulating losses fast, and you may lose quite a bit despite small losses deterring you at first. However, keep in mind that the inherent house edge will keep the game balanced and will prevent you from winning insane amounts of money. Breaking even would be good, and perhaps making a small profit would be better. You might win big, of course.
In the Reverse Martingale system, make sure you don’t play too aggressively and stop playing at the right time. Similar to all other betting systems, this one has the potential to earn you some winnings in the short term but is guaranteed to lose to the casino advantage over the long term.
