The D’Alembert Strategy

The D'Alembert strategy is such a simple and popular roulette betting strategy. Dubbed after the French mathematician Jean le Rond D'Alembert, this system was actually devised to be much less risky than other more aggressive strategies, such as the Martingale strategy. With this one, the balance between the rate of wins and the size of the wins makes it highly suitable for both beginners and seasoned players who are interested in bankroll management and using strategies while playing roulette.

How the D'Alembert Strategy Works

Would you like to make your game of roulette more structured? Well, in that case, the D'Alembert strategy will come in handy. The bottom line behind this system is to increase and then decrease your bets in increments. This system is best suited for even-money bets, such as red or black, odd or even, and high or low numbers. It can be used as follows:

Determine Your Unit Bet

First of all, decide upon a fixed unit of bet; it could be either $1 or $20. This is going to be the base for all the wagers to come.

Place Your Bet

Make one unit bet on any even-money proposition.

Adjust Your Bets

If you win, bring your next bet down one unit; if you lose, go up one unit. This gradual adjustment helps take care of losses and maximizes profits of winning streaks.

How It Works in Practice

Easy breakdown with a $1 unit bet:

• First Bet: You make a $1 bet and lose. Now you're down $1.
• Second Bet: You bet $2 and lose again. You now lost a total of $3.
• Third Bet: You bet $3 and win. You get $3 back, so you're even again.
• Fourth Bet: You bet $2, and you win. Now, you gain another $2 on top of that; your profit now is $2.
• Fifth Bet: You bet $1, and you win. Now, your total profit increases to $3.

Not too complicated, right? The following will give you a glimpse of how the D'Alembert strategy works, which will allow you to cut your losses while slowly but surely amassing profit. Here is another example of what it might look like using the strategy in a real scenario:

Example Scenario of Using D'Alembert Strategy

Let's assume each unit is $10, and we start with an initial bet of $10.

Pros and Cons of the D'Alembert Strategy

Everything that exists in the world has its pros and cons. So does this strategy. Let us discuss them:

Pros

• Easy to Use: I find this strategy pretty convenient because it's very easy to understand and, therefore, easy for beginners to apply.
• Controlled Risk: This plan enables the management of risk by increasing the bets by only one unit after a loss, as opposed to the Martingale strategy, which doubles the bets after each loss.
• Bankroll Management: From my personal experience, this gradual adjustment in bet size helps you manage your bankroll better over time.

Cons

• Potential for Losses: Though it controls risks, the losing streak can still make you lose a significant amount of money.
• Limited Big Wins: The plan offers you stable gains. It does not mean that you will be earning big profits fast.
• House Edge: Remember, this strategy doesn't alter the house edge. From a mathematical and business point of view, the casino always has a bigger advantage.

The Reverse D'Alembert Strategy

Ever thought of doing the opposite? That's what the Reverse D'Alembert strategy does. In this version, you will increase your bet by one unit when you win and decrease it by one when you lose. This system will capitalize on winning streaks but bears the same risks/benefits as the regular version of the strategy.

Let's start with an initial bet of $1 and follow through a sequence of 10 bets:

1. Initial Bet: $1

Outcome: Win

Next Bet: $2 (increase by one unit)

2. Second Bet: $2

Outcome: Win

Next Bet: $3 (increase by one unit)

3. Third Bet: $3

Outcome: Win

Next Bet: $4 (increase by one unit)

4. Fourth Bet: $4

Outcome: Loss

Next Bet: $3 (decrease by one unit)

5. Fifth Bet: $3

Outcome: Loss

Next Bet: $2 (decrease by one unit)

6. Sixth Bet: $2

Outcome: Win

Next Bet: $3 (increase by one unit)

7. Seventh Bet: $3

Outcome: Win

Next Bet: $4 (increase by one unit)

8. Eighth Bet: $4

Outcome: Win

Next Bet: $5 (increase by one unit)

9. Ninth Bet: $5

Outcome: Loss

Next Bet: $4 (decrease by one unit)

10. Tenth Bet: $4

Outcome: Loss

Next Bet: $3 (decrease by one unit)

Summarized Sequence of Bets

Here’s a concise summary of the above sequence:

By following this sequence, you can observe how the Reverse D'Alembert strategy responds to wins and losses. During winning streaks, your bet amount gradually increases, allowing you to grow your winnings. Respectively, during losing streaks, the strategy decreases your bet amount to prevent further losses.

Some Practical Considerations

With the D'Alembert, you're usually betting on even-money outcomes, like Red/Black or High/Low. You choose the size of the initial bet, how much to increase after a loss. Here's an example of an initial $20 bet:

• Bet $20 on red and lose.
• Increase the bet by $1, and now bet $21 on red. Win.
• The next bet is $20 again. Win.
• Decrease the next bet by $1, now bet $19. Win.
• $18 is the bet. Lose.
• $19 is the bet. Lose.
• $20 is the bet, and so on.

To make this strategy work, you need a certain bankroll size. If you're making an initial bet of $20, you should have a bankroll of something like $300 to $400 to absorb potential losses.

When to Use the D'Alembert Strategy

This strategy will suit players looking for a medium level of risk and who are trying to take care of their bankroll. It’s particularly useful when you expect a balanced number of wins and losses like the ones you would get from even money bets. Keep in mind, however, that roulette is a game of pure chance, and no strategy guarantees you win at all times.