Casino Strategy

Martingale, Labouchere, And D’Alembert Strategies

Strategy Descriptions

Players of roulette and other casino games with a 50/50 chance have developed a number of different strategies and systems that help them give them an edge on their odds of winning. Three types in particular are used frequently and have helped many players win more at the table. The three types of betting systems are known as the Martingale, Labouchere, and D’Alembert strategies. Here we take a quick look at each:

Labouchere Strategy

Players who use this system base their betting strategy on a series of numbers in a line that they have determined themselves. It seems to be best used on split bets and this method has also been used for baccarat, blackjack and all other games with odds that are close to 50/50. The lines of numbers you decide are your betting units. You base how you are going to bet on the sum of the first and last number in your line. If you win, cross out the numbers you used and then do the same thing again with the next to numbers. If you lose, add the amount wagered the end of the line and keep going. The amount of money you win will be equal to the sum of the numbers in that line. Keep in mind that the sum of the first and last number should not exceed the table limit.

Martingale Strategy

Another system that works great for split betting is the Martingale system. Here you basically double your bets and continue doubling it until you win. This system allows you to still be profitable even if you lose more than half the time. This is because you playing against the house edge which is calculate on the repeating of the same sized bets. This strategy is problematic when you get strange betting combinations that are a bit freaky unless you have an unlimited bankroll available to you.

D’Alembert Strategy

This last strategy is a type of progressive betting that is best used for even money bets. It’s not as aggressive as the Martingale systems and subsequently takes longer to build up money when recovering from losses. This system actually allows the player to sustain a longer streak of losses. The D’Alembert systems works by adding one unit to your bet after every loss or subtracting one unit for every win. So, if you bet $10 and you lose, your next bet will be $11. If you bet $10 and you win, your next bet will be $9.