Updated on: November 25th, 2024
Betting systems provide you with an organized approach to placing bets when gambling. All of your future bets are based on the outcome of the previous bet. A winning betting system’s basic aim is to walk away with a profit after a gaming session.
However, no wagering system will ensure you win every bet. Also, even if some experts encourage you to make particular bets after certain outcomes, results remain random. Find out more about how betting systems work below in our dedicated guide.
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What is a Betting System?
A betting system is a fancy synonym for the term “betting strategy.” As mentioned above, these are organized approaches to online casino gambling. Instead of wildly spinning the reels of a slot machine, you add some thought to the bets you make. Systems pre-determine the bets you make based on the results of your last bet.
Before you begin a game session, you set a bet size. As you play, you increase or decrease your next bet’s size based on the success of the last bet. Whether you increase or decrease your bet is based on whether you are using a positive or negative betting system.
The aim of this whole process is to end a gaming session with a profit or no losses. However, it does nothing to decrease the house edge of a game.
Why Do Players Use Betting Systems?
Lots of players like trying out different betting systems because they want to win. Many of these strategies have existed for as long as some gambling games. Some players find comfort in the fact that betting systems add some structure to their bets. In turn, this leads to the belief that they could actually beat the casino.
Many betting systems were created for roulette. However, most can be used in a variety of casino games, including blackjack, craps, and baccarat.
We can’t really condone a line of thinking that suggests that a particular strategy is guaranteed to win. However, we do believe that systems help you keep better track of your bankroll. Efficient bankroll management can help you end more sessions with winnings.
Positive & Negative Progression Betting Systems Explained
Although there are many betting systems, all these strategies work with the baseline principle of adjusting bet size. They also fall under one of two progression categories: positive or negative.
Two distinct practices differentiate the two categories:
- Positive Progression – with positive systems, you increase your bet size after winning and decrease it after losing.
- Negative Progression – with negative systems, you increase your bet size after losing and decrease it after winning.
Positive Progressive Betting Systems
If you are looking to use a betting system, we recommend using a positive progressive system. Here you try to capitalize on winning streaks while avoiding spending too much on a losing streak. However, there is no guarantee you’ll ever go on a winning streak.
Examples of betting systems with positive progression principles include:
- Reverse Labouchere System
- Paroli Betting System
- Reverse D’Alembert System
Negative Progressive Betting Systems
Negative progression betting systems aren’t viewed as favorably as their positive counterparts. The reason behind this is that you need to increase your stake on a losing streak. The whole idea is to increase your initial bankroll with a single win. However, you don’t take advantage of winning streaks.
We don’t recommend using this system as it is straightforward to go bust while on a losing streak. You are bound to experience a losing streak at some point during a game session, so the idea is quite worrying.
What is Gambler’s Fallacy?
Gambler’s Fallacy (also known as the Monte Carlo Fallacy) refers to an erroneous thinking pattern related to gambling. It is the idea that a player can predict future results by looking at past results. If you are having trouble making sense of the concept, perhaps an example will explain it more clearly.
Let’s say you’re playing roulette, and in the last three games, the ball landed on a black pocket. A player who has fallen victim to Gambler’s Fallacy will believe that a ball will land in the red pocket next because it landed in a black pocket in the previous round.
There is no basis for this belief other than past results. Such thinking often leads to players to make bad bets by increasing their bet size.
In casino games, each result is independent of those that came before it and those that came after it. If you cannot come to terms with the idea, you probably shouldn’t be gambling. Such thinking could lead you to make terrible losses.
Should You Use Betting Systems?
Before we answer this question, we need to reiterate that a guaranteed winning system does not exist. If there were, it would be banned from being used at casinos, just as card counting is highly frowned upon.
Always remember that, unless you are cheating, each result is random. If you go on a winning streak, a positive progression system can help you increase your winnings. Or, at the very least, leave you with something to walk away with.
It said that some negative progression systems statistically increase your winnings if you play long enough. However, most players don’t have the bankroll to keep this form of structured betting going in the long run.
Overall, we believe you should use betting systems if you like the sense of having a structured approach to betting. Systems also give you a chance to practice bankroll management more effectively. But we recommend avoiding negative progression systems because they encourage losses.
Also, keep in mind that betting systems do nothing to increase your chance of winning. You are changing your bet size and this has no effect on the odds of a game over a short-term or long-term period.