Written by
Alex VasileAlex Vasile has an iGaming background with over five years working in Support and Account / VIP management. He is also an experienced writer covering topics related to gambling legislation and jurisdictions, casino bonuses and wagering requirements and casino games rules.
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| Updated: October 2, 2024
An integral element of most casino games is luck. When it comes to roulette, proper money management skills are essential. Since roulette is a game based on luck, the only thing players can do is to try to minimize their losses. Over the years, casino enthusiasts have tried to design roulette strategies in an attempt to stack the odds in their favor. So far, no betting strategy can guarantee success. However, some of them can be profitable but only in the short term.
A popular roulette strategy is the Fibonacci system. As its name suggests, it is based on the Fibonacci sequence. Interestingly, this sequence has found applications in different spheres of life, including mathematics, computer science, nature, etc. Interestingly, the Fibonacci sequence inspired casino aficionados who found a way to implement it on the roulette tables.
Applying the Fibonacci Strategy to Roulette
The Base Stake
Follow the Sequence
The Idea Behind the Fibonacci System
Ending the Progression
Inside or Outside Bets?
Useful Tips
Loss Limits
The Base Stake
The most confusing part of the Fibonacci strategy is to determine the amount of your stake. The first thing you have to do is set the size of your initial stake. Experienced players claim that the optimal wager size is 1% to 2% of the bankroll. If you are to use the strategy for the first time, consider starting with the lowest bet value the roulette table allows. This will also prevent you from reaching the maximum table limits in no time.
Follow the Sequence
The first bet in your betting cycle is one betting unit and it corresponds to the first number in the sequence. For example, if your first bet is $20, then the sequence will be as follows: $20, $20, $40, $60, $100, $160, $260, etc. You have to follow the sequence and increase your bets every time you lose. Whenever a win occurs, you need to move back two numbers. In a nutshell, the Fibonacci roulette strategy is based on the following rules:
- Move one number up the sequence whenever a loss occurs
- Move two numbers down the sequence after a win
Look at the example below to better understand the concept behind the Fibonacci strategy:
Bet Number | Bet Size | Outcome | Net Profits |
1 | 20 | Lose | -20 |
2 | 20 | Lose | -40 |
3 | 40 | Lose | -80 |
4 | 60 | Win | -20 |
5 | 20 | Win | 0 |
6 | 20 | Win | 20 |
The Idea Behind the Fibonacci System
To many rookie casino enthusiasts, the negative progression roulette systems simply make no sense. However, we would not discuss them if they were of no benefit to players at all. The Fibonacci betting system provides players with the opportunity to recoup losses thanks to several wins.
Even if you have experienced a long losing streak, you can quickly win back your losses. However, it involves a certain level of risk as you never know when a losing string will end and whether you will have money left to play with at that point.
Ending the Progression
Once you generate a profit for the current betting cycle, you have to end the progression. Much of the strategy’s complexity stems from the fact that players have to keep track of how much they have won and lost to determine when they should go back to the beginning of the sequence.
Winning the first bet is the best possible scenario for players who use the Fibonacci system. However, if you also win the second and the third bet, you will breakeven and you will have to start the progression all over again.
Inside or Outside Bets?
Roulette enthusiasts can apply the Fibonacci strategy to inside bets, but it is mainly geared toward even-money outside bets. These offer nearly fifty-fifty chances of winning or losing and offer a payout of 1:1. In roulette, the even-money bets are Red/Black, High/Low, and Odd/Even.
If you are wondering why the Fibonacci strategy is not appropriate for inside bets, the answer is that the chance of winning an inside bet is lower. Hence, you will most likely lose and you will have to increase your stakes at an extremely rapid pace.
Useful Tips
To adjust the size of their bets and move up and down the sequence at the same time might be confusing for novice roulette enthusiasts. To solve the problem, you can write down the sequence on a piece of paper and only keep track of the outcome of every spin.
Loss Limits
Roulette betting strategies, including the Fibonacci, can cost casino aficionados an arm and a leg if they do not know when they should stop playing. To prevent yourself from losing your hard-earned money in a flash, we advise you to set loss limits. Many experts claim that roulette fans have to end the Fibonacci progression after 6 or 7 losses in a row. Chasing losses is a dangerous endeavor that might lead to gambling problems.
How Efficient is the Fibonacci Betting System?
The Fibonacci roulette system can help you generate some profits in the short term. Provided that you generate enough losses and subsequent wins, it can work for a longer period. However, it does not eliminate the edge of the house. The betting technique does not improve your chances of winning. In addition, stakes increase rapidly provided that a long losing streak occurs. Then, you take the risk to lose your bankroll or reach the maximum table limits. We do not say that roulette fans should ignore the strategy but we advise them to be cautious when using it.
One of the main advantages of the Fibonacci betting system is that it allows players to set an initial stake based on their bankroll. Furthermore, players stand a chance to generate a small profit even after a long losing streak. The Fibonacci betting strategy is believed to be less aggressive compared to other negative progression systems such as the Martingale that requires players to double their bets after every loss.
Of course, the Fibonacci roulette system has its drawbacks. After the first several losses, you will notice that the further you go through the sequence, the more the bets escalate. At a given point, you might be unable to adhere to the strategy because you reached the maximum table limits or you just ran out of money. In addition, novice players may have a hard time memorizing the sequence.
Like all other betting strategies, the longer you employ the strategy, the bigger the chance is to lose. Of course, you can always end the progression and start all over again but winning back your previous losses will be almost impossible. You cannot rely on the Fibonacci roulette strategy for generating consistent wins
Variations of the Fibonacci Roulette System
Most negative progression betting systems have a positive progression counterpart. The Fibonacci strategy makes no exception to the rule. The Reverse Fibonacci is the variation of this betting technique that is based on the exact opposite principle – players have to increase their bets following a win and decrease them after every loss. The size of the bets is again determined by the Fibonacci sequence. Look at the example to see how the Reverse Fibonacci roulette system works in practice:
Bet Number | Bet Size | Outcome | Net Profits |
1 | 20 | Win | 20 |
2 | 20 | Win | 40 |
3 | 40 | Win | 80 |
4 | 60 | Lose | 20 |
5 | 20 | Win | 40 |
The example shows that the Reverse Fibonacci roulette system relies on winning streaks. Provided that you register several consecutive losses, you will have to start the progression all over again. However, it will be extremely hard to recoup previous losses. That is the main disadvantage of the Reverse Fibonacci strategy. However, it is less aggressive compared to the Reverse Martingale system that requires players to double the size of their bets after a win occurs.