Even if you started betting with just \u00a31 on the first event, stakes would escalate rapidly when you hit a run of losers. After five losing bets, your stake on the sixth would be \u00a332. Your stake on the tenth would be \u00a3512. And from there, you\u2019d have to bet \u00a31,024, \u00a32,048, \u00a34,096, and so on.<\/p>\n

This makes the Martingale a system that most bettors simply can\u2019t afford. Even if you could, would you really want to risk \u00a34,096 to try and recover \u00a34,095 in previous losses and make a profit of just \u00a31? Before you answer, bear in mind that there\u2019d be no guarantee that you\u2019d win at that point either. Get a losing run of 15 bets, and your stake on the 16th would be \u00a332,768.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, even if you get lucky and bet on a winner before you blow your bank or meet the betting limits, all you\u2019ll come away with is \u00a31 more than you had at the beginning. Take a walk around your local shopping centre, and you could probably find a \u00a31 coin without risking a penny. You wouldn\u2019t dream of betting even \u00a3100 on a 50\/50 shot to try and win a \u00a31 profit, so why get into a situation that could require you to bet even more for the same outcome?<\/p>\n

Martingale Variations<\/span><\/h2>\n

Some bettors have developed variations on the Martingale gambling strategy in an attempt to overcome one or more of the disadvantages just mentioned. Three that we think are particularly worth mentioning are as follows:<\/p>\n

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Reverse Martingale Strategy<\/span><\/h3>\n

Whereas the Martingale betting system increases stakes after each losing bet, the Reverse Martingale strategy increases them after each winning bet. You would start by staking 1 unit on an even-money shot and keep staking 1 unit per bet until you get a winner. At that point, you would double your stake to 2 units. If you win again, double the stake to 4 units. If you lose at any time, you would start over with a 1 unit bet on the next event.<\/p>\n

This approach is safer than the original Martingale, as the stakes only increase as you win. However, you need to quit while you\u2019re ahead, or you could still lose money overall. And the big problem here is knowing when to quit.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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Grand Martingale Strategy<\/span><\/h3>\n

This is an even more aggressive version of the original strategy, and it\u2019s intended to give you a bigger profit when you eventually hit a winner. Instead of just doubling your stake, you double your stake and then add the first stake. For example, if you bet \u00a31 and lose, you\u2019d bet \u00a32 + \u00a31 = \u00a33 on the next event. If that loses, you\u2019d bet \u00a33 + \u00a33 + \u00a31 = \u00a37 on the next event, and so on.<\/p>\n

While this approach will help you win slightly more when you bet on a winner, it increases the rate at which stakes grow during a losing run. That makes it even more dangerous than the straightforward Martingale, and it still has the disadvantages of requiring a bottomless bank and a bookmaker willing to accept bets with no limit.<\/p>\n

<\/div><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n

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Limited Martingale Strategy<\/span><\/h3>\n

The third variation we want to mention is the Limited Martingale strategy. This works in the same way as the original Martingale betting system, but it limits how many losses you can suffer before you call it quits and start again. You can choose your own limit, but it\u2019s rarely more than six losing bets in a row. If you lose the sixth bet (or whatever happens to be the last bet of your limited sequence), you take the loss on the chin and start afresh next time.<\/p>\n

This is much more sensible than using the Martingale with no limit in place, but it can still be costly. If you started betting with \u00a31 and you were to have six losing bets in a row, you would come away nursing losses of \u00a363. That means you\u2019d need to succeed with the strategy 63 times in the future just to recoup the losses from one bad day. And if you have one or more additional losing days, you\u2019ll be in an even worse position.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

Why You Should Avoid the Martingale System<\/span><\/h2>\n

By this point, it should be clear that we aren\u2019t recommending the Martingale betting system to anyone. In fact, we are actively encouraging you to avoid it. While the strategy might look good on paper and is guaranteed to win in theory, in practice, it requires a colossal bankroll, the ability to place bets without any limits, and the willingness to bet all day – or maybe even all week or month – for a potential profit of just \u00a31. Call us old-fashioned, but we\u2019ll give it a miss, and we strongly advise you to do the same.<\/p>\n

FAQs<\/span><\/h2>\n

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What is the Martingale strategy?<\/span><\/h3>\n <\/div>\n

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The Martingale strategy has been around since the 18th century. It involves betting on even-money shots and doubling your stake after each loser. It is intended to recoup all previous losses and give you a profit of 1 unit when you hit a winner.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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What is an example of a Martingale bet?<\/span><\/h3>\n <\/div>\n

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Start with a \u00a31 bet on an outcome at odds of 1\/1. If it loses, bet \u00a32 on the next event. If it loses, bet \u00a34 on the next event. Continue doubling until you hit a winner. And make sure you have a hefty amount of money that you can draw from when you hit an extended losing run.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Is the Martingale betting system legal?<\/span><\/h3>\n <\/div>\n

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Yes, this is a perfectly legal staking progression. Of course, bookmakers can choose to limit how their customers bet, and stake limits will certainly exist that make Martingale gambling impractical when you hit a serious losing run.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Does Martingale betting work?<\/span><\/h3>\n <\/div>\n

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On paper, yes, because the mathematics are sound. In the real world, no, because you need a bottomless bankroll and a bookmaker that never limits your bets.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Martingale betting system is either famous or infamous, depending on your perspective. It is a progressive staking plan that is designed to guarantee a profit by doubling up stakes after every losing bet until a winner is found. Theoretically, the Martingale system can\u2019t lose, but in practice, its use can be devastating. Here\u2019s all … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n