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Overview of D’Alembert Roulette Strategy

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When you ask gamblers what they think of roulette, they’ll outrightly tell you that it’s an ultimate game of luck and that any attempt to implement strategies or game tactics will prove futile. But what if they weren’t entirely correct? What if there are proven strategies that could help swing the odds in your favor?

Over the years, mathematicians and philosophers have developed betting strategies to give players the edge. While there’s no system that can guarantee you winnings all the time, some can boost your chances and lengthen your bankroll. The D’Alembert betting system is one of those strategies that roulette players can use to increase their advantage. In this guide, we’ll explore the various aspects of the D’Alembert roulette strategy and how you can become a pro at it.

History of the D’Alembert Strategy

The D’Alembert roulette strategy is named after French polymath Jean le Rond D’Alembert who lived in the 1800s. It’s a slight and more safer modification of the Martingale System (a strategy where players are encouraged to increase their bet size after a loss so when they eventually win, they’ll have their initial amount again). The system is over two centuries old and is not only used in roulette but also in other luck-based casino games.

The strategy was adopted quickly by gamblers due to its simplicity, and unlike the Martingale system, stakes increase slowly so there’s a lower chance of the stakes reaching an insanely high amount. On the downside, it takes longer to recover losses and increases the chances of the gambler ending with a loss.

We cover more on the principles of the system here and explain all the important details you need to know.

Principles of the D’Alembert Roulette Strategy

Like many other gamblers before him, Jean le Rond D’Alembert fell for the Monte Carlo fallacy or the gambler’s fallacy and this led to him losing lots of money on failed bets. The gambler’s fallacy is a wrong belief that argues that if an event occurs frequently in the past, it’s less likely to happen in the future. For example, if a flipped coin lands frequently on tails, there’s a high chance it will land on heads when it’s flipped again. This is false as the probability never really changes and it could land on its tails again..

Jean le Rond D’Alembert then came up with the D’Alembert system which is mainly used for even money bets. The theory implies that the number of even money bets you lose and win should be equal. In roulette, it basically means that black would come up almost the same number of times as red in a gaming session.

It’s one of the easiest roulette systems to learn and that’s one of the reasons why it’s so popular. Here’s an extensive guide on how you can use it when you play roulette.

Step 1 – Decide on a Set Amount of Money to Act as a Unit

Like in most betting strategies, you must choose a certain amount of money to act as your base unit. This is entirely your choice but it’s advisable to limit your base unit to at most, 5% of your bankroll. 2.5% is the safest option.

Step 2 – Start With One Unit

You must start any betting cycle with one unit when using the D’Alembert system. For example, if your base unit is $2, your first wager on any cycle should be $2.

Step 3 – Increase By a Base Unit After Every Loss

If you lose a bet, add the base unit to the next wager. So you are to increase your wager by one unit after every loss. If you started with $2 and lost, the next wager should be $4, then $6 and so on.

Step 4 – Decrease Your Stake By a Base Unit After Every Win

If you win a bet, subtract your base unit from the current wager and use it as your next. So you are to reduce your wager by one unit after every win. If your base unit is $2 and you won a bet with $4, your next wager should be $2. Also, if you win a bet with your starting base unit, use the same amount to wager again.

That’s it! That’s the basic principles of the D’Alembert roulette strategy. You can understand why it’s a preferred choice among roulette players. It’s easy to implement and also very effective. Basically, if your wins are roughly equal to your losses in a playing cycle, you should end up better than you started. Sounds perfect right? But the main question is, does it actually work? And is it advisable to use it? Let’s find out!

Does the D’Alembert Roulette Strategy Work?

Over the years, the D’Alembert strategy has proven to be very effective and has helped hundreds of roulette players make money. On a good day, the system works fine and you can end up with a profit even when you record more losses than win. Nevertheless, the success of the strategy depends heavily on sequences and this can get a little tricky and frustrating at times.

Roulette is a luck-based game and basically anything is possible. Sometimes, you might hit sequences that might make the D’Alembert strategy a very costly one. You could go on a losing streak and never record enough wins to recover. Here’s an example of how things could go wrong. We’ll use $2 as our base unit and will follow the steps we discussed above.

  • Wager $2, lose, $2 down
  • Wager $4, lose, $6 down
  • Wager $6, lose, $12 down
  • Wager $8, lose, $20 down
  • Wager $10, lose, $30 down

Now, you’re already down by 15 base units and if you’ve played roulette before, you’ll know that such losing streaks are not uncommon. The streak could spiral out of control and there’s no guarantee that you would embark on a winning streak good enough to recover your losses. There’s also a possibility that you keep losing and empty your bankroll or reach an amount that’s above the table’s staking limit. So why the D’Alembert strategy is safe and simple, things could go extremely wrong and the system offers no protection when it happens.

Variations of the D’Alembert Roulette System

The system is more than two centuries old and over time, it has undergone multiple modifications. Few of these modifications stuck and grew to become independent variations. These are the two major variations of the roulette betting system.

The Contra D’Alembert Method

This is also known as the reverse D’Alembert method. With this method, instead of decreasing your stake by one base unit after every win, you increase it. When you lose, you reduce the stake instead of increase. That’s why it’s called the reverse method because it’s basically the opposite of the standard method.

The Aggressive D’Alembert Method

This method is a riskier and more advanced form of the D’Alembert system. It’s different from the standard system in that when you win a bet, you don’t reduce the stake by one base unit, instead, you use this amount to wager again. You maintain this stake until you record a loss. This system is riskier but more profitable when you’re winning.

Pros and Cons of the D’Alembert System

Since it was founded in the 18th century, gamblers have used it on different casino games where even-money bets are possible. The D’Alembert system, like many other roulette betting systems, has its merits and flaws. Nevertheless, it’s preferred because not only is it easy to learn but it’s also perfect for both penny gamblers and high rollers. Here are some of the pros and cons of using this system.

Pros:

  • The system gives you full control of your starting wager. You get to set the base limit you want and build from there. This could be any figure but it’s generally advisable to keep it under 5% of your bankroll
  • The progression pattern lengthens the lifespan of bankrolls. In the Martingale system, you have to double your bet after every loss and this can get very messy. The D’Alembert system prevents stakes from getting too high quickly. While there’s a chance things could go out of control and stakes become bigger, it’ll take a longer time for that to happen.
  • It’s easy to learn. Unlike other roulette betting strategies, the D’Alembert system is very easy to learn and implement. You don’t need to be a mathematical genius or write anything down in order to grab it. Just agree on a base stake unit and do basic additions and subtractions depending on the outcome of your bets.

Cons:

  • Like many other roulette betting systems, the D’Alembert system doesn’t offer any protection against losing streaks. Ultimately, roulette is still a game of luck and you could go on a lengthy losing streak and lose your entire bankroll.
  • The strategy is a low risk betting strategy so the chances of you winning big sums of money are very low. Bets are usually made with small amounts and so the wins are small too.

Tips and Tricks of D’Alembert Roulette Strategy

There are a couple of tips that help make the strategy more appealing and beneficial. These are slight modifications on the main system and have helped many roulette players over the years.

  • Firstly, you can set a maximum stake limit. When you reach this limit, you can no longer increase the stake and have to use your base unit as your next wager. This will prevent you from staking with ridiculously high wagers when you’re on a terrible losing streak. You could set the limit as 10 times your base unit. For example if your starting unit is $2 and you hit a bad run where your stake becomes $20, you reset and start wagering with $2. With this modification, it becomes harder to decimate your entire bankroll on a bad day. On the downside, a maximum stake limit lowers your chances of recouping your losses.
  • Secondly, instead of increasing or decreasing your stake by one unit after a bet, you could adjust it by two when you notice that your wins and losses are almost equal, or at least close. With this, you stand to gain more profit after every win but also risk losing a lot when you hit a bad run.

Summary of D’alembert Roulette Strategy

The strategy is one of the oldest roulette strategies and has been in existence for over two centuries. The basic principles are simple, you select a base staking unit and after every loss, you increase your wager by one unit. If the bet is successful, you reduce the wager by one unit. This way, you can mitigate your risks and also increase your chances of making a profit when the playing session ends.

Nevertheless, the system, like most other strategies, doesn’t guarantee sure success. In the end, roulette is a game of luck where you’re at the mercy of probability. Things could go wrong and you could lose a lot of money using the system. However, the D’Alembert system is still a safer option compared to other negative progression systems.

FAQs

French polymath Jean le Rond d’Alembert is credited with introducing the system back in the 18th century.

No, the D’Alembert roulette strategy is not illegal and you can’t get in trouble for using it in a game of real money roulette.

No betting system is entirely safe. However, it is one of the less riskier roulette betting systems and has been in use for centuries.

Yes, you can apply the strategy when playing roulette at an online casino.

No, it’s actually one of the simplest betting systems and one of the easiest to implement. Simply pick a base unit. Remove a unit after you win and add a unit after you lose.

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