A progression can continue only while the next wager is affordable and permitted by the table. A plan that assumes unlimited chips and no maximum describes a different game from a finite session. Calculate the next required stake before interpreting a recovery sequence.
Count a doubling sequence
With a starting unit u, classic Martingale stakes u, 2u, 4u and so on after losses. After k consecutive losses, total lost is u × (2^k − 1). The next required stake is u × 2^k.
Scroll to compare all columns
| Losses already settled | Total lost at a 1-chip unit | Next stake |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 7 | 8 |
| 5 | 31 | 32 |
| 7 | 127 | 128 |
| 10 | 1,023 | 1,024 |
To place the wager after seven losses, a starting wallet must cover both the 127 already lost and the next 128. That means 255 chips before the sequence began, not 128. A win on that eighth wager recovers prior losses and leaves one unit only if the full wager can be placed at the stated payout.
The table maximum is a separate limit
A 100-chip maximum permits the sequence 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, but blocks the next 128-chip wager even if the wallet contains enough chips. Capping it at 100 changes the progression and its recovery arithmetic. It should be recorded as another rule rather than described as the same unlimited system.
The Martingale calculator helps inspect stake growth. The strategy guide follows the rule itself and its outcomes.
Turnover differs from the wallet
After a winning wager returns chips, those chips can be staked again. A session starting with 100 chips can generate more than 100 chips of turnover. House edge applies to the amounts exposed, while wallet balance determines whether the next wager is possible.
Define the stop before comparing results
A fair comparison states a spin cap, starting balance, stake policy, table minimum and maximum, and what happens when the next wager cannot be placed. It also states whether a win target or loss limit ends the run. These choices affect the distribution of session endings.
A stop rule does not make the next independent pocket predictable. This guide supplies arithmetic for simulated-chip demonstrations, rather than a recommended cash bankroll or a promise that any budget lasts long enough to recover. Read streak probability and simulation methodology alongside a finite-session result.
Sources and scope
- Roulette probability derivation. Amenti Labs LLC. Fair independent pockets, fixed payouts, full outside loss on zero. Formula and all supported bets regression tested.
Publication date: 2026-11-07. Checked 2026-11-07.