The Martingale Blackjack Betting System
Many kinds of gamblers walk into a casino or log onto an online casino in order to play blackjack. The first-time clueless blackjack player can know very little about the game, sit down at a table with a cursory knowledge of the blackjack rules, and lose $100 in five minutes.
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At the other end of the spectrum is the professional blackjack player who, though not part of a team or anything like that, is a decent card counter, respects the blackjack basic strategy, and has the patience and fortitude to sit at the blackjack table for hours, after which he'll probably come out somewhat ahead of the game. Another kind of player is the kind who knows the game but doesn't have the patience for its slow money-making pace. This type will try to boost his earnings with betting systems, the most famous of which is the Martingale betting system.
What is a Blackjack Betting System?
A blackjack betting system is a structure of wagering, usually based on prior wins and losses. The Martingale system is a negative progressive betting system and one of the most commonly used blackjack betting systems around. Martingale is not named after a person (there's no Mr. Martingale out there); a "martingale" is a type of mathematical process. What makes Martingale a negative system is that it rewards losses - if you make a blackjack bet and lose the hand, you double your bet on the next hand. If you lose again, you double your bet again. If you win, you go back to your original bet. (A positive system—like the Paroli betting system, for instance—means that if you win, you increase your bet, and if you lose you go to your original position or decrease your bet.)
Martingale at the Blackjack Table
| Explaining the Martingale using dollars and cents (even if it makes less than a lot of sense) is the easiest way describe it. If the minimum bet at the blackjack table you've chosen is $5, that will be your first wager. If you lose, your next bet is $10.00, and if you lose again, your next bet will be $20.00 (then $40, $80, etc., as long as you keep on losing). If you win, you go back to your original $5.00 bet. One of the drawbacks with Martingale is that if you hit a bad losing streak, you can eventually reach the maximum bet allowable at the table (just keep doing the math above) and you won't be able to recoup your losses. |
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The bottom line is that when using a progressive betting system of any kind - including Martingale - you have to set limits for yourself so that you don't reach the point of no return.
Winning at Blackjack Takes Patience
Remember, blackjack betting systems are used by people who don't have the patience for the small incremental wins that a decent blackjack player looks at during the course of many rounds of the game. Yes, if things go well, a blackjack betting system like the Martingale can increase your winnings - if your luck plays out like the system wants it to. If you indeed win at blackjack after a series of losses, you'll do OK; if you keep losing with the Martingale, you'll lose your shirt, the farm, and any chance of winning back your money.
