Do roulette systems work. Where you double up on red or black when you lose, until you win again. I think they are called progressive?

In the long run the player lose, i.e. no way to beat the house, but... if you enjoy the casino, and are lucky enough, it may keep you playing there a bit longer than betting on a single number! Here is a place where you can test the system as long as you want http://www.deskbell.com/roulette.asp trying and trying again it will show you that the system can lead also to disaster!

The system you describe is called a "Martindale" system (I think), and it sounds foolproof... however it can only actually BE foolproof in a world where your money is infinite. You can very easily enter a bad run of luck where this system would require you to be wagering very large sums of money very quickly, and find yourself deep in a hole with an empty wallet and unable to continue the 'system'. In general, there is no successful system to roulette provided the wheel is fairly balanced... the question is not will the house get your money, it is how quickly will the house get your money. Play for fun, enjoy it, but don't seriously entertain any notion of beating the game long-term.

The odds always favor the house. If there were a "surefire" way to beat the Roulette wheel, the game would have been taken out of casinos long ago.

Progressives? So basically, Congress is playing Roulette with America's money? They've been 'doubling up' for decades now. And soon we WILL need infinite $$$ to keep playing...