Why Progressive Gambling Systems Don't Work
It is in our nature as humans to look for easy ways to solve a particular problem. Thus, it is no wonder that casino players also try to invent systems to increase their odds at the games. But no matter how innovative or sophisticated this system is, one must always remember that only a proper strategy could change one's odds at the casino's games.
The truth is, aside from card counting (which should be considered as a valid blackjack strategy), what gambling systems do is just tweak how you bet at the tables. What could be horrifying is that once players test these systems and become lucky, they tend to think that it really works. And once they try it out again and it doesn't work, they insist on it until it's too late to back out.
One of the most popular gambling systems is the progressive system. Here we take a look at its two sides: positive progressive betting and negative progressive betting.
1. Positive progressive betting
The aim of positive progressive betting is to increase your bet whenever you win and decrease your bet whenever you lose.
A common positive progressive bet should be somewhat like this: Given that the gambling table has even money bet, you make an initial bet of $5. If you win, you get $5. Now you could consider yourself even, and have not progressed yet. You bet another $5. If you win, you should bet $10. By doing so, you keep a profit of $5. If you win, you bet $15. If you lose, you go back to $5.
The problem with the positive progressive system is that you really won't know when you are going to win and lose. Say you have already progressed to $20, and lose. If you win when you go back to a $5 bet, then it would still be a long way to go before you regain that $20 loss.
2. Negative progressive gambling
More commonly known as the martingale system, this gambling system requires you to double your bet after every loss. The logic behind is it that by doubling your bet, you should be able to win sooner or later, thus regaining your original loss. That is, if you have an infinite bankroll.
The problem with the martingale gambling system is that it is too much costly and the profit too low. If you start with a $5 and lose 5 consecutive times before you win, you would have already invested $315 only to get a $5 profit. It is too troublesome for its miniscule reward.
The lesson to be learned here is that no gambling system really works. While it is a creative way of handling your money, a disciplined approach to keeping your bankroll is much better. And always keep in mind, in whatever gambling game, strategy and not system is your best friend.
