Betting-system limits: standard roulette spins are independent. Staking progressions change your exposure, not the house edge, and cannot guarantee profit or recovery of losses. Never chase losses. Compare roulette odds and payouts and other systems and their risks.
The Martingale is a negative progression: you double your stake after every loss, so that one win recovers all earlier losses plus one original unit. It changes how losses are distributed, but it cannot beat the house edge. This page explains the rules and the maths. For the background and a critique of the idea, read our guide Why Martingale Fails.
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How the Martingale works, step by step
The system is meant for even-money bets such as red/black, odd/even or high/low. If you are new to these, see our roulette rules.
- Choose a base stake, called one unit.
- Place that unit on an even-money bet.
- If you lose, double the stake for the next spin.
- Keep doubling after each loss.
- When you win, the payout covers every earlier loss in the sequence and leaves one unit of profit.
- Return to the base stake and start again.
Each spin is independent, so a long run of losses does not make a win more likely next time. The only thing the doubling changes is how much you have at stake when the win eventually arrives.
Martingale progression table
The table shows simple doubling from a one-unit stake. “Total needed” is the bankroll required to place the next bet, that is, everything already lost plus the next stake.
| Losses in a row | Stake on last lost bet | Total lost | Next stake | Total needed to place it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 15 |
| 4 | 8 | 15 | 16 | 31 |
| 5 | 16 | 31 | 32 | 63 |
| 6 | 32 | 63 | 64 | 127 |
| 7 | 64 | 127 | 128 | 255 |
| 8 | 128 | 255 | 256 | 511 |
| 9 | 256 | 511 | 512 | 1,023 |
| 10 | 512 | 1,023 | 1,024 | 2,047 |
The pattern is that the stake needed doubles every spin, while the reward for a successful recovery stays at one unit. If one unit is £5, seven losses in a row cost £635 and the next bet is £640, so you need £1,275 for a £5 gain. By ten losses the requirement is 2,047 times your base stake.
How likely is a losing streak?
On a single-zero (European) wheel an even-money bet wins with probability 18/37 and loses with probability 19/37. On a double-zero (American) wheel it wins with probability 18/38 and loses with probability 20/38. The chance of a given run of losses is the losing probability multiplied by itself that many times:
- 7 losses in a row: (19/37)7, about 0.94% on a single-zero wheel; (20/38)7, about 1.12% on a double-zero wheel.
- 8 losses in a row: (19/37)8, about 0.48% on a single-zero wheel.
These percentages are for a run starting from a specified spin. They look small, but you keep meeting new starting points the longer you play, so a long streak will eventually turn up. Compare the wheel types in our roulette odds and payouts guide.
Why bankroll and table limits end the progression
The system assumes you can always afford the next doubled bet. In practice two things stop that. First, your bankroll is finite: as the Wizard of Odds puts it, the gambler will eventually hit a losing streak where the bankroll is not enough to make another double. Second, tables set a maximum stake, so the sequence can be cut off even if you still have funds. Either way, the recovery bet cannot be placed and the whole accumulated loss stands.
Expected value does not change
Every spin has the same expected loss no matter how you size the stake. On Wizard of Odds, a sister site of RouletteVision, the point is made plainly:
“Like all betting systems, not only won’t the Martingale eliminate the house edge, it won’t even dent it.”
Double-zero roulette carries a house edge of 5.26%, and the longer you play the closer your losses, as a share of money bet, get to that figure. The Martingale produces many small wins and an occasional very large loss, but the average result is the same as flat betting. Read the Wizard of Odds Martingale page for more of the maths.
Martingale variants
- Reverse (Anti-) Martingale: you increase the stake after wins and reduce it after losses. Wizard of Odds describes a version that doubles after each win until a goal is reached and stops after a loss; it usually ends a session in a loss.
Martingale roulette FAQ
Does the Martingale work in roulette?
It often produces a small profit in a short session, but it does not change the house edge or the expected loss. A long enough losing streak can wipe out a bankroll or hit the table limit.
Which bets can I use it on?
Even-money bets such as red/black, odd/even and high/low are the usual choice, because one win pays back the stake and returns the earlier losses in the sequence.
How much money do I need?
To place the bet after ten losses in a row you need 2,047 units, and 1,023 units of that would already be lost. The table above shows the requirement for each step.
Can I try it without risking money?
Yes. You can run through the progression on our free roulette games to see how quickly the stakes grow, and compare other approaches on our roulette systems page.
Play within your limits
Treat roulette as paid entertainment, set a budget you can afford to lose and never raise it to chase losses. See our responsible gambling page for support and tools.