As the name suggests, the reverse martingale strategy gets its name from the well-known martingale system. The reason for that is because as a strategy, it’s a mirror opposite of the martingale system. In the roulette gambling world, this strategy is also known as the Anti-Martingale or as the Paroli system. The martingale strategy is probably the most well-known gambling system out there. It’s used in various casino games, especially roulette. In a nutshell, its a betting system where the player doubles his wager every time he losses. After a win, the player returns to his starting wager which causes him to cover all his losses and make a small profit. Check our martingale strategy article, to learn more about this casino roulette system. On the other hand, we are here to talk about the Reverse Martingale Strategy.
As a betting system, it has been around for a long time and in the betting world, it’s known as the Paroli system. There is proof that this system has been used for almost 500 years. There was a game known as Basset which was very popular in Italy in the 16th century. The game had perfect gameplay for the reverse martingale strategy to be used on it. As a matter of fact, it’s a perfect betting system for all games that give the player around a 50% chance of winning. This includes games like blackjack, craps, baccarat, etc. However, the best place for this betting system is in front of a roulette wheel. You can use it on inside bets that are pretty much 50/50, for instance, red/black, even/odd, etc. Below, we will cover everything you need to know about the reverse martingale strategy and how to use it properly.
How to Play Roulette with the Reverse Martingale Strategy?
Firstly, we have to discuss the name of this strategy. It’s obvious that there is a connection with the martingale system which is how the reverse martingale strategy got the name. The explanation is quite simple, this betting system tells you to do everything in the opposite direction of the martingale system. Basically, instead of increasing your wager on a loss, the anti-martingale approach requires you to increase your wagers after a win. Conversely, you are going to be lowering your wagers after every loss. The idea behind this method is that a player can increase his bankroll drastically during a winning streak. Additionally, his losses during a losing streak will be reduced. This is why the reverse martingale strategy is so popular among live casino roulette players.
From a scientific point, all gaming outcomes in the gambling world are random, like the spin of the roulette ball. This means that winning or losing streaks can’t be predicted. However, players are aware of that but what they are also aware of is the fact that these streaks do happen. So, by betting a larger amount during a winning streak, the player will win more than if he kept making flat bets. This is why the reverse martingale strategy is a favourite among experienced players. The biggest complaint about the standard martingale system is the amount of risk. Players put more money with each spin during a losing streak and if they win, at the very best, they make only a small profit. On the other hand, things are much different with the anti martingale system.
How does Reverse Martingale Strategy work?
Using a true reverse martingale strategy means that you double the wager each time you win and then reduce the wager in half when you lose. In practice, the player can win a large amount of money during a winning streak while using this betting system. Imagine the player hits a lucky streak of five or six wins in a row. In such a case a $10 bet would turn into $20 then $40, $80, $160, $320, and eventually reach $640. If we keep in mind that an average roulette table has a wagering limit of $1000, this is where you would have to reset. In just six rounds, the player can walk away with at least $1,200.
On top of that, the reverse martingale strategy can be modified. Unlike the regular martingale system where you always double the bet, with this one you can calculate your wager. For instance, instead of doubling your bet every time you win, you can add just one-half the win to the next wager. So, you start at 10 but the next one is 15 instead of 20, then 25, 40, 60, 90, 150, 200, etc. In such an example, the player keeps a portion of his win instead of wagering it all on the next round. It’s a more conservative approach but it also reduces the risk a lot.
Advantages & Disadvantages of the Reverse Martingale Strategy
Just like with every strategy out there, there are positive things but a couple of negative ones as well. The reverse martingale strategy doesn’t give you a 100% chance to win at any roulette casino game. However, no strategy or betting system can give you that. The best you can hope for is taking full advantage of the strategy to help you increase your winnings. Below, we will talk about all the advantages but also the things you need to be careful about when using the reverse martingale strategy.
Advantages
The anti martingale has one clear advantage over the regular martingale and all the other betting strategies. We are talking about the fact that you don’t really lose a lot when a bad losing streak happens. This is true because as the bad streak goes on, you reduce your wager and end up betting the table minimum. Also, when you double up the wagers, you are essentially betting with your winnings. If you think of those winnings as the casino’s money, your starting bankroll will pretty much remain the same, until you score a big win.
So, when you get on a winning run, consecutive wins will increase your winnings dramatically. This makes the reverse martingale strategy the most user-friendly betting system out there. First-time live roulette players can get the hang of it immediately. However, not everything can be positive when it comes to gambling. Even this strategy has a bad side and we will explain it below.
Disadvantages
Just like with most roulette strategies, the disadvantages come when we have to consider the house edge. In European Roulette, even bets like black/red have a 48.6% chance of winnings. The percentage is not at 50% because of the green zero slot that’s not covered by any even bet. Things are even worse in American roulette where there is both a zero and a double zero slot. So, based on this, you will lose a lot of games just not a lot of money because you will be betting the minimum during losing streaks, thanks to the reverse martingale strategy.
However, long term, those small bets will accumulate thus hurting your bankroll. Additionally, during a winning streak, all it takes is one loss to lose your profits. So, the only way to protect yourself is to stop while you are had. Nevertheless, this is often hard for many people while playing casino games. This is where the conservative anti martingale system can help a lot. By keeping some of the winnings each time you increase your wager, you protect your bankroll when things start going downhill. You will limit your winning during losing runs but will also protect your money when you get on a losing run.
How to Win at Roulette?
Now that we covered all the details around the reverse martingale strategy, we have to mention some of the ways you can approach this strategy. We already mentioned that you can play aggressive or pick a more conservative approach. Nevertheless, there is one method that combines both approaches. It’s known as the 3-step reverse martingale and it’s the safest way to approach this strategy. The idea is to limit the progression of the bet to 3 consecutive games, then resume playing with the lowest bid possible. Short term, your profits will be lower but long term, this approach will protect you from losing your bankroll. If you get a favourable sequence, you will always end up in the plus at the end of a roulette session.
Conclusion
All in all, the reverse martingale strategy is easy to learn and is also safer than its counterpart. This makes it perfect for newbies but also for experienced casino players. When it comes to roulette, the anti martingale system might be the one betting system that comes close to perfect. Of course, it can’t guarantee you wins 100% of the time. However, it does protect you from losing a large portion of your bankroll. Even if you get on the worlds’ worst run of results, you won’t lose a lot because you would be putting up the table minimum because that’s what the strategy suggests. On the other hand, if you get on a really good run, the winnings can be immense.
This strategy has a lot of potentials but it’s important to use it wisely. We suggest playing aggressively and leaving the table before things go sour. That’s the only way to leave with some meaningful winnings in your pocket.