Roulette Max Drawdown
Max drawdown is the worst peak-to-trough fall in your bankroll during a session. It is the number that tells you whether you would have survived the run emotionally and financially.
Two strategies with the same final bankroll can have wildly different max drawdowns. The one with smaller drawdown is the safer bet, regardless of which ended slightly higher.
Definition
Max drawdown = the largest difference between a session peak and a subsequent lower point during the session.
Tracked after every spin. If your bankroll peaks at $1,200 and later falls to $800, max drawdown = $400 even if you eventually recover.
Calculation in the tester
The Roulette Strategy Tester tracks max drawdown live during every run. After each spin it updates peak bankroll and checks the current drop. The largest value through the session is reported in the final modal.
Typical drawdowns by strategy
Over 200 spins of $10 base on $1,000 bankroll on European:
| Strategy | Typical max drawdown | Worst-case max drawdown |
|---|---|---|
| Flat red | $50-$100 | $200 |
| D'Alembert | $80-$150 | $300 |
| Fibonacci | $150-$300 | $600+ |
| Martingale | $0-$50 most runs, $1,000 on bust | Full bankroll |
| Labouchere | $200-$500 | Full bankroll |
| Single-number flat | $300-$600 | $900 |
| James Bond (classic) | $400-$800 | $1,200+ |
Drawdown vs bust
Drawdown is a fall from peak. Bust is running out of money. A strategy can have huge drawdown and not bust (if it recovers); it can bust without huge drawdown (if it just slowly grinds down).
Track both. Drawdown tells you about session intensity. Bust rate tells you about session survival.
Drawdown vs Martingale's deceptive smoothness
Martingale shows misleadingly low drawdown numbers on profitable runs because it recovers fully on each successful cycle. A run that wins $200 total can have apparent drawdown of $0 - bankroll only ever moved up.
But on a busted run, drawdown jumps to full bankroll instantly. The average drawdown across many sessions includes those tail events.
Reading drawdown for Martingale requires looking at all sessions, not one.
How to use drawdown when comparing
- Run two strategies side by side on identical setups.
- Compare their final bankrolls AND their max drawdowns.
- Prefer the strategy with smaller drawdown unless the final bankroll difference is meaningful.
- Repeat across 10+ runs to see the typical-vs-worst spread.