The Fibonacci system is a gambling strategy that’s popular in roulette and other casino games offering odds that are close to 50%. Developed by a medieval Italian mathematician, this system is based on a sequence of numbers that players use to determine the value of their wagers.
Fibonacci numbers may seem confusing at first. By reading through this guide, you should be able to understand how they are created and how to use this sequence to play better roulette games.
How Does the Fibonacci Sequence Work?
The Fibonacci roulette betting system is based on the so-called Golden Ratio. To develop this sequence, you need to add up the previous two numbers to create the next one.
The first two Fibonacci numbers are 0 and 1. As long as you remember these numbers, you can develop the rest of the sequence quite easily. Adding 0 and 1, the answer is 1 and so this is the third number. Next, add 1 and 1 and you get a total of 2.
As you start adding up the last two numbers to create a new one, you’ll end up with the Fibonacci sequence. This is 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, and so on.
What is the Fibonacci Betting System?
Once you’re familiar with the Fibonacci numbers, you can proceed to implement the Fibonacci strategy in Roulette or other casino games with favorable odds. To start off, you should choose a betting unit, such as $1. Players typically use the table’s minimum bet limit to determine this unit.
The next step is to decide which bet to make in your Fibonacci strategy. You can select any bet that covers 18 numbers, so Odd/Even, Black/Red, and High/Low are all good options. Also, as we recommend in our full roulette strategy guide, you should play European Roulette for better odds.
Using the Fibonacci system, start with your first bet of $1 on your selected wager. If the bet loses, use the next number in the sequence for your next bet. Continue this process each time your previous bet loses. If you win, move back two numbers in the Fibonacci sequence, or one number if you’re at the start of the sequence.
What Kind of Betting System is Fibonacci?
The Leonardo Pisano (Fibonacci) betting systems are negative progression systems. This means that you progress through the sequence and increase your bet when you lose, not win. Other popular examples of such systems include the Martingale System and the Labouchere System.
Example of the Fibonacci System
The best way to understand Roulette betting systems such as this is through an example. Below, we’ve played five rounds using the Fibonacci strategy. This example is meant to help you understand how the system works and any results are purely random.
Round 1
Throughout this example, we’ve bet on Black and are using $1 as a unit bet. According to the Fibonacci system, we must first place a $1 wager. When we played this round, 19 Red won this game, so we lost our wager. This means that our running balance is -$1.
Round 2
The Fibonacci System now guides us to our next bet, which will also be worth $1. Fortunately, this time we won, so our running balance is now back to $0.
Round 3
According to the Fibonacci Strategy, we should move back two numbers in the sequence after a win. However, since we’ve just started, there’s only one number available, so we’ll base our unit wager on that. Unfortunately, Red wins again so our running balance is -$1.
Round 4
We, once again, place a $1 wager on Black since 1 is the next number in the Fibonacci Roulette betting sequence. Red wins again, and this means that our running balance is now -$2.
Round 5
The next number in the sequence is 2 and, according to the Fibonacci strategy, we must apply this number to the unit bet. This means that we should wager $2 on Black. We do this and win, resulting in a running balance of $0.
When To Use The Fibonacci System
You should use the Fibonacci sequence, or any other negative progression betting systems, on casino games with odds that are as close to 50% as possible. Roulette is certainly the most popular example, but this and similar betting systems have also been used for Craps and other table games. Moreover, you opt for European or French Roulette tables rather than the American version. You should also stick to the same outside and even money bets and use the minimum bet value as the unit wager.
Fibonacci Betting System Advantages
Here are the main advantages of the Fibonacci Roulette system:
- Limits potential losses when compared to other betting systems
- Gives players a chance to make up losses faster than other strategies
- Better for losing streaks than Martingale or James Bond roulette strategies
- Works on Roulette and several other casino games
- Provides a different way to play eligible table games
Fibonacci Betting System Disadvantages
To help you determine whether this betting system is suitable for you, we’ve also highlighted certain disadvantages. These are:
- Can be confusing to understand at first
- Doesn’t offer any higher winning odds than other betting systems
- Can lead to higher losses, just like other negative progression betting system
- Requires a sizeable bankroll, especially if the player is experiencing a losing streak
How the Reverse Fibonacci Strategy Works
Just like the D’Alembert System and other roulette betting systems, the Fibonacci sequences can also be used in reverse. Several negative progression betting systems can be reversed to become positive. This means you should increase their wager with a win and decrease it with a loss. When moving back through the sequence, you should still move in twos if this is possible.
Implementing the Reverse Fibonacci Roulette sequence in our example would provide the following results:
| Round | Wager | Result | Running Balance |
| 1 | $1 | Loss | -$1 |
| 2 | $1 | Won | $0 |
| 3 | $1 | Loss | -$1 |
| 4 | $1 | Loss | -$2 |
| 5 | $1 | Win | -$1 |
Fibonacci vs Reverse Fibonacci: Which is better?
Neither the original Fibonacci sequence nor its reversal provides any guarantee of results or wins. Most players prefer to use the original version as it is designed to take advantage of winning streaks and potentially reduce losses in losing streaks.
Using the Fibonacci Betting System in Other Forms of Gambling
The Fibonacci betting system can be used on a variety of other casino games and even with sports betting. Below, we’ve outlined other popular using consecutive Fibonacci numbers to gamble.
Blackjack
Just like roulette, blackjack features odds that are very close to 50%. This makes it another suitable game for the Fibonacci betting system. Before you implement this or any other strategy, it’s important that you know how to play blackjack.
Once you’ve got the basics of the game covered, you can use this betting system to determine the value of your next wager. You should begin with the base unit and increase or decrease your bet depending on whether you’ve won or lost the previous round. Remember to keep the blackjack chart handy to determine when to hold, split, double down, or stand.
Baccarat
You can easily use the Fibonacci betting system in conjunction with other baccarat strategy. Since the Banker side has the best odds of winning, you should always bet on this side to win. When a bet loses, move to the next consecutive Fibonacci numbers to the right to calculate your wager. If you win a bet, move two consecutive Fibonacci numbers to the left.
Pai Gow Poker
The Fibonacci betting system can also be implemented in Pai Gow Poker online and in person. Winnings hands pay 0.95:1 and players generally have a 29% of winning compared to 30% for the dealer. The majority of games, around 40%, usually end in a tie where players get their original wager back. In such instances, you should keep your previous wager for the next one.
Craps
If you know how to play craps, you’ll know that various bets have high odds and pay even money. To implement the Fibonacci betting system, you should focus on either the don’t pass line or the don’t come both bets as these have the lowest house edge of 1.36%.
Sports Betting
It might seem strange, but you can use the Fibonacci betting system even whilst sports betting. You’ll need to find bets with odds of -110 or better. While most online sportsbooks will take a 10% juice from the side that loses a bet with these odds, your overall chances of winning are quite similar to casino games, especially American Roulette.
Negative Progression Betting Systems
Many of the world’s favorite betting systems are based on a negative progression. This system requires players to increase bets after a loss and decrease them after a win. Using such a strategy should, in theory, allow a player to make up previous losses with one or more wins.
Positive Progression Systems
In contrast with a negative progression betting system, a positive one guides players to increase bets after a win and decrease them after a loss. The 1-3-2-6 system, for example, is a four-part system that suggests betting on the next consecutive number to the right after a win. Similarly, players should move back to the previous number if they lose.
Oscar’s Grind and the Paroli System are even simpler, suggesting that you increase bets 1 unit after a win and keep your current wager after a loss. Unlike the Fibonacci betting system, this and other positive progression systems have an end point. In the case of Oscar’s Grind, the cycle ends once you register a profit of 1 unit. The Paroli System ends after three consecutive wins.
Tips for Using the Fibonacci Betting System
Here are our pro tips to help you make use of this popular betting system:
- Place small bets – The best way to conserve your bankroll and play more turns is to set the base unit to be equal to the table’s minimum bet.
- Look for the best odds – Different casino games and sports bets have different odds, and you should always pick the ones that offer the lowest house edges or the best player odds.
- Don’t expect a profit – Using the Fibonacci sequence does not change the game’s odds and no system can guarantee a positive result. You should use this betting system as a guide to place wagers in a structured way.
- Unlock casino offers – Make use of casino bonuses to boost the value of your bankroll. With these rewards, you’ll be able to play more games or rounds, allowing you to use the Fibonacci sequence for longer.
- Play responsibly – Minimize the risk of gambling by limiting the value of your wagers to an amount that you afford to lose and take frequent breaks so as not to get over tired.
Who Was Leonardo of Pisa?
Leonardo of Pisa, better known as Fibonacci, was a medieval mathematician that’s associated with the recurrence relation of numbers. While he did not invent this sequence or determine how many pairs were required to create it, Fibonacci did refine it to its present form.
Conclusion
The Fibonacci Roulette strategy provides an interesting way to play at European and French tables at best roulette online casinos. While this system does not provide any win guarantees, it can guide players to make mathematically-sound wagering decisions based on a recurrence relation. Moreover, it’s a relatively simply system to follow once you understand the basics of the sequence. This makes it ideal for novice and expert players alike.