Grand Martingale Betting Strategy
If you thought the Martingale betting strategy was good wait until you hear about the Grand Matingale.
The Grand Martingale stems from the Martingale betting system. To recover the money you’ve lost increase your initial bet.
Join us as we explore the Grand Martingale’s pros and cons, math, and why it’s risky to use.
How Does the Grand Martingale Betting Strategy Work?
The Grand Martingale sees you double your bet after a loss.
You’ll add an extra amount equal to your initial stake when you play online roulette. For instance, if you start with a £10 bet and lose, you’d bet £30 (£10 + £20) next.
It aims to recover losses quickly with larger bets. Yet, it requires a large bankroll and the losses can be substantial if you hit extended losing streaks.
Use it on even money bets such as Bet on Odd/Even, Black/Red, or High/Low.
Testing the Grand Martingale System
We give a simple explanation of how to use the Grand Martingale betting strategy to play roulette:
- Initial Bet (£1): You place a £1 bet on an even-money outcome on red or black.
- After a Loss: If you lose double your previous bet and add the initial stake. So, after a £1 loss, your next bet would be £1 (previous loss) + £2 (doubling) + £1 (initial stake) = £4.
- Subsequent Losses: Continue this pattern after each loss. You’ll increase your bet size to recover losses plus the initial stake.
The Grand Martingale aims to cover losses quicker than the Martingale strategy. That makes it riskier than the Martingale and ideal for high-stakes roulette players.
The Grand Martingale requires a significant bankroll. For example, starting with a £5 bet can lead to bets over £1,000 within a few losses.
- £5 and lose
- Bet £15 (double the £5 and add £5) and lose
- Bet £45 (double the £15 and add £5) and lose
- Bet £135 (double the £45 and add £5) and lose
- Bet £405 (double the £135 and add £5) and lose
- Bet £1,215 (double the £405 and add £5) and win
After five losses, the total amount bet is £1,215 + £405 + £135 + £45 + £15 + £5 = £1,820.
A win at this point recovers all losses and results in a £5 profit.
Which Roulette Version Should I Use?
If you play roulette online for real money play European roulette.
I mentioned previously that you should bet on even money bets such as Red/Black, Odd/Even, or 1-18/19-36.
If you play European roulette with its single zero your chance of winning is around 48.6%. For American roulette, it’s 47.4% due to the double zero.
Here’s why European roulette is the best roulette version to use the Grand Martingale:
- Probability: European roulette’s probability of winning an even-money bet is 18/37 ≈ 48.6%.
- Lower House Edge: European roulette’s house edge of 2.7% is lower than American roulette’s 5.26% with its double zero.
Therefore, playing European roulette gives you a slightly better probability of winning per spin.
It can be advantageous to use the Grand Martingale where you increase your bets after losses.
Biggest Win Using the Grand Martingale Betting Strategy?
In 2004, British gambler Ashley Revell sold all his possessions. He bet £76,840 on a single spin of roulette in Las Vegas.
Although he did not use the Grand Martingale betting strategy. It illustrates the potential for extreme loss or win with large bets in roulette.
He won, doubling his money to £153,680, but had he lost, he would have lost it all.
Pros
- Quicker recovery of losses compared to the classic Martingale.
- Profits can be substantial during a winning streak.
- Simple to understand and implement.
Cons
- Requires a large bankroll during extended losing streaks.
- A high risk of hitting table limits can result in running out of funds.
- The odds of the game and the house edge remain the same.
Conclusions: Watch Out for the Grand Martingale
The Grand Martingale certainly looks good in theory but it’s even more riskier than the Martingale.
It’s way more aggressive since it requires 35% more money. Therefore, it’s not a viable betting strategy to play roulette over the long run.
This strategy involves doubling bets after each loss, which can lead to very high bets quickly.
If you use it to play roulette play the European version. Moreover, check if the roulette table offers you high limits.
More importantly, the Grand Martingale requires a large bankroll.
We tried it a few times and it spooked us, even when we played free roulette. Admittedly, it does offer potential for big wins but it’s a bankroll killer.
Try it with a small budget of £100 to £200 with bets between £1-£5. Note that it doesn’t change the house edge if you use it to play roulette.