This section is devoted to betting systems, or gambling strategies. Thousands of systems have been developed to try and get an edge over the house or bookie over the years. Many claim to have found the answer to that age old question “Can you beat the Casino House Edge?”- although you´ll generally need to pay to read these ones (if the system was infallible it always make me wonder why they would be selling it?)
So do betting systems work?
Well, this is an area that interests us. We´ll be as clear as we can on the subject straight off:
No system will fundamentally alter the odds that you get at a particular casino game. these are set by the design of the game and the payout that the casino offers.
Having said that, we think it is always a good idea to think through your betting strategy (or system) before you play. If sticking to a system helps you do this, you are likely to improve your chances of coming away “up”. At the very least, we would advise you to set your session budget (only bet what you can afford to lose), your profit target (when you walk away if you are ahead) and your stop loss (when you walk away when you are down).
In a sense, playing at a casino is no different to trading on the stock market (especially recently!) You´ve got to keep your cool and play with your head.
We find betting systems fascinating- if you have any interest in the science of probability and like statistics you should do too. Our advice is to read up on them, understand their strengths and weakenesses and use them as tools rather than the “Keys to el Dorado”.
Widely-used systems include:
Card counting in blackjack- keeping track of the number of tens and face cards in the pack- when the 10 value card ratio is high you should have an advantage
- Fixed profits – you vary your bet based on the odds to ensure the same profit from each win
- Fixed stakes – you bet the same amount on each round or spin.
- Kelly – the besy bet for a maximum average bankroll level.
- Negative Progressions (eg Martingale) – you increase your bet to cover losses from previous bets until your luck turns.
- Positive Progressions– you increase your bets after a win in hte hope of turbo-charging any winning streaks.
There are only really a few certainties when it comes to betting systems:
If you need to pay to see the system, it´s most likely a scam. Why pay ofr a system? You can get them free here!
They won´t fundamentally alter your odds
They´ll still be someone working on a way to beat the casinos tomorrow.