I've had good luck with "properly" patched tubes. "Properly" means you:
1. Sand the area around the puncture to remove any mold release and dirt and to give a "tooth" for the glue to hold.
2. Spread the glue beyond the patch's margin to be certain there are no dry spots under the patch.
3. Let the glue dry on the tube until the wet shine is gone. Putting the patch on over wet glue gives a poor bond.
4. Iron the patch down firmly with your thumb or a roller.
Some tubes have mold ridges on them and a puncture on or right next to one of these ridges is nearly impossible to patch reliably. Also, a puncture at the valve base can't be patched. I don't even try with either of these.