The Reverse Martingale (Paroli) Betting Strategy

If you haven’t heard of the Martingale Betting System, then check out our previous blog post to that effect. Because now it’s time to get a little crazy and talk about the Reverse Martingale System. Reversing things has an ostensible history of success. Remember when Superman reversed the earth to turn back time? Well if you find yourself down on your roulette luck and you are looking to take action you… most certainly cannot reverse the earth. However, what you can reverse is one of the world’s most well-known roulette betting systems, the Martingale.

Reversing this betting strategy is otherwise known as the Paroli Strategy. Traditionally, the Martingale approach is suited for games that offer around a 50/50 chance at winning. So, ideally roulette. Let’s take a look at how it works when things get reversed.

The Reverse Martingale Betting System Explained

In the regular Martingale betting system, the approach is simple: every time you lose, you double your bet. The logic here is just as simple: sooner or later you will hit a win, and then you will be back to even money. The Martingale betting system assumes you have the money to fund such a counter-operation to a run of bad luck. If you do not, then the Reverse Martingale System is for you.

As you might have guessed by now, instead of doubling down after every loss, you double down after every win with the Paroli strategy. This has the advantage of not cutting into your bankroll when you go on a big losing streak where you may or may not get back to Even Street. Under the Reverse Martingale, if you lose, then you just lose your initial bet.

It is very much an “all-or-nothing” type of approach.

Visualizing the Theory

This chart shows the table outcomes for the Paroli Betting System. Study it carefully for a better understanding of the mathematics driving this approach, and if you can, keep this chart in your head (or on paper) when you are playing.

Probability Table for Paroli Betting System

Setting Your “Walk Away” Goal

One of the most important things to keep in mind about employing the Reverse Martingale System is that you need some sort of limit that you are aiming for. Otherwise you will invariably lose at some point, no matter how much you keep increasing your bet. The limit can be either a number of bets, it can be a monetary value, or it can even be a length of time (spent playing).

The main thing to keep in mind is what, exactly, you want to keep in mind. Don’t get lost in a

What is the Difference Between “Letting it Ride” and the Reverse Martingale?

Great question.

Letting it ride means you just leave any winnings “out there” for the next round of betting. The Reverse Martingale System is a little bit different: you do not leave all your winnings out there; you double your bet each time. Though, depending on the payout, this could potentially be one and the same thing.

“What happens if I hit the table limit?”

I think you know the answer to that question. You find an underground casino run by the mob that has no limits, like that famous scene from The Last Castle.

Just kidding, you just play at that limit until you hit your goal, or you find a table with a higher limit in the High Limit area that most casinos have. Or, you actually find an underground casino run by the mob that actually has no limits. That option is always there, though, so maybe leave it as a last (casino) resort.