Punters have developed several betting systems with varying efficiency and efficacy over the years. Also, depending on the water conditions and type of wager, different betting systems are better suited. Some strategies depend on the level of experience and ability a punter has. While some methods work better than others, not all punters that adopt strategies can avoid losses. Losses are an inevitable part, and a punter needs to know how to minimize losses to succeed at online blackjack and gambling in the long run.
Martingale System
The Martingale system traces its origins to France three centuries ago, a system still in use today. A punter can reduce their following wager right after a win to secure money on the table into the punter’s bankroll. A punter can also increase their bet following a loss to make up for the most recent loss. While a punter can secure their winnings on the table, they also stand to incur an excessive loss in the event of accumulated losses. Consider if a punter wagers $1000 on an even-odds wager and happens to lose four games in a row. In an attempt to win back the first $1000, the punter loses $2000, then $4000, and then $8000. A -800% loss on four bad wagers can severely and negatively impact a punter’s betting ambitions. One of the main reasons this strategy doesn’t usually work is because a punter only has limited funds and needs to know when to call it quits.
Features Of The Martingale System
Some of the features of the Martingale betting system for online blackjack include making wagers on events with even odds, estimating the sunk cost of losing, establishing reasonable limits, considering streaks, and adopting variations in the Martingale betting system.
1. Even Odds
Even odds mean probabilities with an equal outcome or equal chance of occurring. Even odds are the most simple wagering strategies where a punter has a 50% chance of winning the wager and a 50% chance of losing the bet. Wagers with even odds include even-odd in roulette, blackjack, and some sporting events. The best way to understand is through coin toss, which has a 50% probability of heads and a 50% probability of tails (a win or loss). However, most games never have exact even odds once you include the cost of making a wager, such as a house edge and taxes. Because providers rarely provide events with even odds, punters can’t make full use of the Martingale betting system to make maximum profit.
2. Sunk Cost Strategy
The Martingale betting system is considered a sunk-cost strategy because it requires a punter to double their stake after a loss. A punter doubles after a loss in an attempt to win back the losses incurred in the previous round. An attempt to win past failures can be a dangerous strategy. A punter would rather chase the sunk cost or sunk losses of unsuccessful wagers than focus on current and future strategies.
3. Limits
Limits enable punters to set brakes or margins beyond which a punter restricts how wagers are made. A limit can be perfect for a punter purely from a risk management perspective. However, limitations also serve as caps on the upper end and restrict the maximum winnings a punter can win at any given time. Another way of establishing a limit is by setting the total number of losses, wins, or target profit/loss before a punter resets back to a starting stake.
4. Streaks
Streaks are continuous rounds of wins or losses in quick succession (one behind the next). Depending on a punter’s betting objectives and strategy, a streak can be a boon or a bane. The Martingale betting system limits the maximum a punter can win from a winning streak while making losses worse than they should be.
5. Variations Of The Martingale System
Punters can learn to adapt the Martingale system best suited to a punter’s needs and betting goals. Different variations of the Martingale betting system can help a punter make a reasonable profit under varying betting conditions. Today, punters use the Martingale betting system for various sports betting events, casino wagers, roulette bets, slot games, and other betting markets with even odds (50-50).
