Close mobile menu

When it comes to online gambling, it’s always important to have a clear betting strategy in place to give yourself the best odds of success. This article explains how the Martingale System works, highlights the pros and cons of this popular betting strategy and looks at some of the other well-known betting strategies used by today’s casino players.

What is the Martingale System?

Countless gambling strategies have come and gone over the years, but none have reached the widespread use and popularity of the Martingale. The Martingale Strategy is predicated on three simple rules:

  1. Double your bet amount after a loss;
  2. Continue to double your bet amount after each loss;
  3. Once a win is achieved, restart the cycle at your original bet amount.

 

Here’s an example of the Martingale System in action:

  • Hand 1: Bet $20 and lose (Total: -$20)
  • Hand 2: Bet $40 and lose (Total: -$60)
  • Hand 3: Bet $80 and lose (Total: -$140)
  • Hand 4: Bet $160 and lose (Total: -$300)
  • Hand 5: Bet $320 and win (Total: +$20)
  • Hand 6: Bet returns to $20 and cycle restarts

As you can see, the Martingale strategy is surprisingly straightforward. This simplicity of this betting structure has led to its adoption from casino players throughout the world, both online and at brick-and-mortar casinos. The Martingale System dates all the way back to the 18th century, yet is still effective today and remains one of the most popular betting strategies at most modern casinos.

The Martingale System was designed with ‘coin flip’ games in mind. A ‘coin flip’ game is just another way of saying that your odds of winning are at or around 50-50. While most casino games will always hold a slight mathematical edge, the Martingale strategy is primarily used on Blackjack, Baccarat and even Roulette.

Pros of Martingale System

Judging by its popularity and extensive history, it’s clear that the Martingale offers some unique value for gamblers. Here are some of the biggest advantages of using the Martingale System as your betting strategy for casino table games.

  • Success – With any type of betting strategy, the most important thing is that it actually works. As you can see with the example provided above, the Martingale System works perfectly in theory. As long as you can keep doubling your bet amount, you’re bound to eventually win a ‘coin flip’ type wager and recoup your losses.
  • Simplicity – Forget about counting cards or learning mathematical probabilities and complex algorithms, the beauty of the Martingale System is how simple it is to learn. This betting strategy is easy to understand, making it an effective tool for both beginners and experienced casino players.
  • Freedom – Unlike card counting, which is banned at many Las Vegas casinos, the Martingale System is an accepted betting strategy at all casinos, provided it stays within the limits of the table. With this freedom, players can put this system to work in a number of popular casino games.

Cons of Martingale System

There’s two sides to every story and the Martingale strategy is not without its critics amongst odds makers and the gambling community. Here are some of the perceived faults and disadvantages that people mention when discussing the Martingale System for betting.

  • Budget – This strategy requires a fairly large bankroll since you must be prepared to double your bet amount several times in a row. This is often a major deterrent for many casino players since this system can eat at your chip stack in a hurry.
  • Table Limits – While casinos allow players to use the Martingale System at their tables, they protect themselves by implementing table limits for each game. With a cap on how much a player can bet, it effectively puts a limit on how many losses you can overcome using this betting strategy.

Other Betting Systems

The Martingale System is, of course, not the only gambling strategy being used by today’s casino players. While the Martingale is arguably the most popular, there are other strategies out there, such as:

  • Fibonacci Betting – This strategy is similar to the Martingale strategy. The key difference is that the bet amounts in this system are based on the Fibonacci sequence, where each subsequent number is the sum of the previous two numbers.
  • Labouchere Betting – Just like the Martingale, this strategy is based on negative progression. The difference with the Labouchere System is that you must decide how much you want to win at the start and write out a list of three numbers that combine to reach that predetermined amount.

JOIN BOVADA NOW

Join Bovada Casino today to start playing your favorite casino games!

The Martingale System is one of the best online gambling strategies out there; it’s popular because it works. Want to test the Martingale System and see the results for yourself? Give it a try with any of the popular table games available at Bovada Casino. Regardless of your preferred bet strategy, there’s no right or wrong way to play any your favorite casino games like Blackjack and Roulette. Make sure to take your time and do some research in order to choose the right strategy for you budget and style of play! If you are new to Bovada Casino, then make sure you sign up today!