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Progressive betting systems

Progressive Betting Systems: The Complete Guide

Progressively betting systems are methods that change the stake of the gambler according to the outcome of the gambler's previous bet. Such strategies gradually change the size of a bet and are more often used in games of chance, like roulette. However, one does not necessarily try to win more or recoup losses, rather one tries to adjust bets in a certain, systematic fashion. The latter type of system is gaining popularity with the betting community because of their more structured approach to gambling, contrasting with the simpler and less risky flat betting method.

How Do Progressive Betting Systems Work

Basically, progressive betting systems manipulate the amount placed on a bet as a player wins. These are usually used with even-money bets, such as black/red, high/low, and even/odd. This is majorly because these even-money bets offer a nice winning probability (48.60%) but only a 1:1 payout. There are basically two types of systems: negative and positive progressive systems.

Negative Progressive Systems:
These systems work by raising the bet size after a loss and returning to the original amount after a win. The goal is to recover past losses and achieve a profit equivalent to the initial bet. For example:
- 1 spin: Wager AU$10 on red and lose (-AU$10).
- 2 spin: Wager AU$20 on red and lose again, bringing our summary loss to -AU$30 (AU$10 from the first round and AU$20 from this one).
- 3 spin: Wager AU$40 on red and win, resulting in a AU$10 overall profit. (Our summary loss from the previous two bets was -AU$30, but this round we won AU$40 as bets on red pay 1:1).
- 4 spin: Wager AU$10 on red (returning to the initial bet).
Positive Progressive Systems:
In contrast, these systems suggest raising the bet after a win, aiming to take advantage of winning streaks and reduce losses during losing streaks. For instance:
- Spin 1: Place a AU$10 bet on red and win (+AU$10).
- Spin 2: Bet AU$20 on red and win again (+AU$30 total).
- Spin 3: Wager AU$40 on red and lose, resulting in a -AU$10 summary loss (total profit from the first two spins was +AU$30, but losing the AU$40 bet puts us at -AU$10).
- Spin 4: Bet AU$10 on red, returning to the initial bet.

The fundamental difference between these two systems lies in their approaches to risk and recovery. Negative systems are generally riskier because they require a larger bet after a loss. In contrast, positive systems are more conservative, allowing the player to increase the bet following a win.

Popular Progressive Roulette Betting Systems

Negative Systems
- Martingale Strategy: Martingale Strategy is a negative progressive betting system. Mainly applied in Roulette, the player is intended to double the stake after each loss. Concept-wise, this is done so that a loss is recovered in a single win of the original amount betted upon, plus a small profit. For example, after a bet of AU$5 and having lost, the next bet should be AU$10, and if that is lost, AU$20. This sequence goes on until a win is achieved, and then the next bet goes back to the original AU$5 bet.
- Hollandish System: This is a different sort of negative progressive strategy, in which the wager is adjusted, not after each loss but after every three bets. Following any series of three bets, a net loss on the series will cause the next bet on the series to be incremented according to some pre-established succession. For example, AU$1, AU$3, AU$5 and so on. If there was a net win then the next bet in the series will be the base bet. This system is particularly easy to use for even-money bets, such as Red/Black.
- D'Alembert Strategy: A positive progression system in which one unit is added to the bet when losing, and one unit is subtracted from the bet when winning, according to the result of the previous bet. Particularly suitable for even-money bets such as red/black, this strategy offers slow recovery.
Positive Systems:
- Reverse Martingale Strategy: The Paroli system begins with a minimum wager and doubles it with every win, returning to the start bet after a loss. This method tries to ride winning streaks by increasing wins and tries to limit losses in unsuccessful sessions. But it also depends on the ability to learn when to stop in a winning streak.
- Contra Bet Strategy: This is what is popularly referred to as the reverse D'Alembert; this strategy involves increasing your bet by a fixed amount after each win and decreasing by the same amount after a loss. The aim is to maximize the wins by betting higher during the winning streak and lower during the losing streak in order to manage the bankroll effectively.
- Oscar Grind Strategy: A positive progression system used in roulette where the goal is to win one unit at the end of each betting cycle. The player will begin by betting one unit on an even money wager. After a loss, the player does not increase their bet size. After a winning bet, the player will increase their bet one unit. The player keeps increasing the amount of their bet as long as they have not reached a net gain of one unit. When a unit has been won, then the cycle of betting will start again. It is aimed at capitalizing on winning streaks; the focus is on the size of the bet to guarantee constant small profits, so it is a low-risk technique for steady gains.

Pitfalls of Progressive Betting Systems

Even though progressive betting systems are widely used, they come with inherent risks and limitations:

They Cannot Beat the House Edge: These systems do not affect the house edge inbuilt into casino games like roulette. The odds will still be in favor of the house no matter what betting strategy is used.
Every Spin Is Independent: In roulette, each spin is independent of the preceding one. One outcome does not depend on the other, which can make progression systems work very inefficiently over time.
They need an infinite bankroll and there are no betting limits: Perhaps the main problem comes from the large financial requirement of many negative progression systems, such as the Martingale. Systems of this kind can rapidly reach table limits after several losses and therefore prove to be unsustainable over the long run for a player with a limited bankroll.