Does Parlay Betting in Roulette Work?

Parlay betting seems to be one of the frequently mentioned strategies players use when betting online. But does parlay betting work? In fact, what is parlay betting?

Join us for a detailed overview of parlay betting and its advantages (and disadvantages) in roulette.

What Is Parlay Betting?

First and foremost, parlay betting is a betting system used in roulette. It’s one of the easiest betting systems in gambling, and it’s often called the Reverse Martingale. However, it’s decidedly not the Reverse Martingale, something we’ll discuss at length in our guide for that betting system.

Now, what are the key things to remember about parlay betting?

For starters, it’s a progressive betting system, meaning the stakes increase/decrease as the round progresses. Depending on the round outcome, players will either go up or down with the betting sum. Unlike flat betting, where stakes stay the same whatever the outcome, in progressive betting, the stakes either grow or decline.

Parlay betting is also quite simple to master, making it a frequently used betting system in online and land-based roulette. Moreover, it’s commonly used on even-money outside bets such as Red/Black and Even/Odd. The entire point of parlay betting lies in increasing the wager by doubling the winnings after wins, i.e. positive progression.

In short, parlay betting involves increasing bets after winning, and reverting to the original stake after a loss.

Moreover, parlay betting is frequently used, but not by novices, but rather experienced gamers. One of the main perks of this betting system is flexibility – you can follow the session and adjust the bets as soon as you notice unfavorable outcomes.

How Parlay Betting Works

One of the key things to understand about parlay betting is that it is not like Reverse Martingale, or any other progressive betting system that entails steep bet increases. Instead, it’s a lot more stable, as the bets increase by adding the original stake or unit, or doubling the winnings.

Hence, for the sake of this article, we’ll pick a budget and stake to act as a singular unit. We’ll show you in the example below how exactly that looks, while for now we’ll talk about the technicalities of a typical round of roulette using parlay betting.

The first step is to pick a basic original stake or unit, and a maximum win limit. This might sound odd, but having a target for a win at the table helps players stay in control and leave the table when the game becomes too much.

Once a maximum and betting unit have been chosen and set, players approach the table and place wagers.

Now, once players have chosen a bet and placed a stake on the table, the round begins. Depending on the outcome, they either double the stake or revert to the original unit.

The point of parlay betting is to reach a target win and then tap out, and it essentially relies on having a couple of winning rounds consecutively to achieve that. The importance of setting a target maximum win lies in the control of the round – you know when to leave the table, ensuring that you are safe and not at risk of betting more than you can spare to lose (in case of a major loss).

Example

Here is an example of how a typical session of roulette looks like with parlay betting. We’ve selected $10 to bet our unit, while $200 is our target maximum win. Moreover, for the stake of this example, we are betting solely on even-money bets (paying 1:1).

When the player reaches the target maximum, the best course of action is to leave the table. In this case, we’ve exceeded the $100 maximum win, and we cashed out. This is where the session should end; most players keep playing but that risks the gains and invites players to a potentially large loss. Hence, we’ve rounded up the round to show you that it is best to stop when you reach the sum you intended to win and move on.

Tips for Parlay Betting

As parlay betting is a positive progressions strategy relying on progressive increases of the stake, it’s fair to assume it relies on winning streaks. After all, you increase the stake when you win, so to keep winning more and more, you need to keep winning. And as much as that sounds quite fun, it’s not realistic.

Hence, the main danger of parlay betting is a dry spell. Therefore, our main piece of advice is to keep away from the table after you notice you’ve gotten a few losses. No winning amount is worth risking it with a dry spell.

On another note, please make sure you’ve chosen a reasonable maximum win target for your session. The target is important for you as it keeps you grounded and helps you as a guideline for the round as you won’t lose track of the betting sums and winnings. In other words, it is there to protect you, even though you might think it ruins the fun.

Benefits of Parlay

The main advantage of parlay betting is that it is generally safer than most progressive betting systems out there. It’s also incredibly easy to learn and use, so it suits both beginners and veterans alike. Still, novices aren’t really that into parlay betting, as they typically tend to flock to other systems that are more widespread (such as D’Alembert and Paroli).

However, compared to Paroli and Reverse Martingale, parlay betting has less risk and better odds.

Though, it is not without disadvantages.

A key disadvantage is the almost certain money loss in the long run. No betting system can beat the house, and if you keep using parlay betting (and any other betting, at that) you run the risk of losing money.

Another thing that sets parlay betting apart is that it requires a winning streak for it to work. Hence, the only way that parlay betting works in roulette is if you can somehow have enough luck to enjoy a winning streak to reach the set target maximum win. Outside of that, it’s risky and probably not going to work.

Conclusion

Parlay betting and roulette: a match made in heaven? Hardly. However, it seems that parlay betting is, compared to other systems, a great option for all those looking for something more secure and stable.

Bets in parlay betting are increased after every win, yes, but the increase is not as sharp like in the Fibonacci System, for instance. Instead, players have a little bit more control over their rounds, which gives them a better opportunity to win and protect said winnings.

If you want to keep reading about roulette, check out this guide here.

However, if you want to keep exploring roulette strategies, we highly recommend reading about D’Alembert and  Masse Égale, Tier et Tout and Guetting Progression in our comprehensive guides.