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ProgressivebeginnerMartingale

Martingale

Double your bet after every loss. One win recovers all previous losses and nets a single unit profit.

Overview

The Martingale is the oldest and most intuitive betting system in existence. The premise is deceptively simple: after every losing bet, double your wager. When you eventually win, you recover every prior loss and net exactly one unit of profit — no matter how long the losing streak lasted. It works exclusively on even-money bets: Red/Black, Odd/Even, or 1–18/19–36.

How It Works

1

Set your unit size

Choose a base bet — the smallest amount you'll wager each fresh sequence. A common rule of thumb: 1–2% of your session bankroll. With a 1,000-chip bankroll, that's 10–20 chips.

2

Place your even-money bet

Bet your unit on Red, Black, Odd, Even, 1–18, or 19–36. The choice doesn't matter mathematically — pick one and stay consistent within a session.

3

Win → reset to unit

If you win, pocket the profit and return to your base unit for the next spin. The sequence is complete.

4

Lose → double the bet

If you lose, your next bet is exactly 2× the last wager. Continue doubling until you win.

5

Repeat

Every win resets you to step 2. You're always hunting exactly one unit of profit per sequence.

The Bets

Standard Bet Placement

03691215182124273033362581114172023262932351471013161922252831342:12:12:11-1213-2425-361–18EvenRedBlackOdd19–36

Highlighted zones = covered by this strategy

Red1:1
Stake10 chips
Coverage48.6%

Example Sequence

Example Sequence (unit = 10 chips)

Unit size: 10 chips

10
L
Spin 1−10
20
L
Spin 2−30 total
40
L
Spin 3−70 total
80
W
Spin 4+80 → net +10
10
?
Spin 5Reset
Total wagered: 160 chips
Net: +10 chips

The Math

The Math

After N consecutive losses (base bet = B): Next bet required = B × 2ᴺ Total lost so far = B × (2ᴺ − 1) Win at next spin = B × 2ᴺ Net profit = B × 2ᴺ − B × (2ᴺ − 1) = B ✓ The house edge (2.7% on European) is NOT eliminated. It is deferred — you trade many small losses for rare large ones.

Bankroll Guide

Recommended Bankroll

1000 chips

Unit Size

10 chips

Stop-Loss

400 chips

Take-Profit

200 chips

A 7-loss streak requires a bet of 1,280 chips. A 1,000-chip bankroll only survives 6 consecutive losses before hitting the floor. Bigger bankroll = more sequences survived, not a better edge.

When to Walk Away

Stop when you've lost 40% of your starting chips in a session (stop-loss).

Stop when you're up 20% of your starting chips (take-profit).

Stop when the next required bet would exceed 10% of your remaining bankroll.

Stop when you've reached the table maximum bet — the sequence can no longer continue.

The Martingale does not beat the house. It creates the illusion of consistent small wins while building up to an inevitable large loss. Use it to understand variance, not to expect long-term profit.