The Martingale system

What exactly is a Martingale?

The Martingale system is very old. Created for casino gamblers, Martingale is easy to understand: if you lose your bet(s), you progressively increase your stakes with a view to covering all of your losses and making a profit on the first winning bet. Once you’ve made the expected profit, you repeat the strategy from the beginning and bet your initial stake.

The following formula is used to calculate the amount of money staked:

Stake = (L+P) / (O-1)

With:

L = Accumulated total from your previous losses
P = Desired profit
O = Decimal odds

See an example of Martingale betting >>>

What are the risks associated with Martingale betting?

The major drawback to the Martingale system concerns its practicality. A bad run of results soon forces a punter into staking an enormous amount of money. In a traditional Martingale system, after a run of 5 losing bets at odds of 2, the stake for the 6th bet must be equal to 32 times the initial stake!

Furthermore, the Martingale system is not in itself a way to make long-term profits. The only way for a punter to do this is to calculate the probabilities more accurately than the bookmakers.

Return to top of page