Cashing In: Can Any Betting System Insure a Win?

The internet if full of books, strategy cards, pamphlets, and advice that tout winning at the casino. Some authors claim that by using their systems, you will win up to 75% of your wagers. Others claim that their systems will guarantee a win if you follow the betting patterns they promote.

Casinos are big business. They are able to build opulent structures, provide fine amenities, swimming pools, spas and a myriad of other creature comforts. These huge resorts employ tens of thousands of people to serve the casino’s guests.

Ask yourself this question, if there was a simple betting system that would guarantee a win for the gambler, would casinos allow the betting system?

Of course not. This article examines some common betting systems and shows why they will not work in the long run.

Contents

1. Up as you lose betting systems
2. Up as you win betting systems
3. Hedging your bets – winning a higher percentage of the time
4. Quit when you are ahead systems
5. Summary

Up As You Lose Betting Systems

An up as you lose betting system have the player increase the bet each time the previous bet loses. Each up as you lose betting system has different specifics.

• Some say increase by one unit with each loss.
• Some say double (or triple) the bet with each loss.
• Some start with one unit and raise the bet by the sum of the previous two bets – example: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, …
• Restart at one unit after every win.

The logic is that the system user will eventually win a bet, and hopefully the amount won will put the player back in the winning column.

The logic is sound. Eventually, the player will win a bet, if:

• The player has a large enough bankroll.
• The table limit is not reached.

If the player had unlimited funds, (the casino has virtually unlimited funds) the proper up as you lose system would guarantee a win.

Did you ever wonder why there are upper limits on gaming tables?

Part of the reason is the casino must have adequate reserves to pay any winners and upper limits help manage the reserve amounts. The initial, and primary reason, however, is to foil the up as you lose betting systems.

Up As You Win Betting Systems

Rather than increase bets as you lose, up as you win betting systems raise bets as they win. Similar to up as you lose betting systems, up as you win betting systems have different specifics:

• Increase the bet after each win – by one unit, half a unit, or something else.
• Double the bet after each win.
• Start upping the bet immediately.
• Start upping the bet only after winning a certain number of bets.
• Wait until having won a certain amount (such as being ahead by two or three units).
• Restart at one unit after each losing bet.

The logic with up as you win betting systems is that luck comes in streaks. Jump in on the winning streaks and keep the bets low on the losing streaks.

There are definitely streaks in gambling. Sometimes they are long – both winning and losing. The problem with up as you win betting systems is you never know when the winning streaks are going to end.

Up as you win betting systems can work well during long streaks. They perform miserably in choppy games.

Hedging Your Bets – Winning a Higher Percentage of the Time

The glaring advertising for this type of betting system is something like “win 80 percent of your bets.” They work best in craps and roulette, games that have multiple ways to bet on each event.

In craps they recommend making bets that cover multiple numbers.

• Bet the field – which will win if a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 rolls. Separately bet the 5, 6, and 8. This system will win on any number except a 7.
• Bet a pass line and a don’t pass bet. This system wins on any bet but the 12 (or sometimes the 2).

There are other variations, but the all fall into the same category. The player wins on almost every roll.The downsides are:

• In the field bet system, you win each bet individually but lose all bets on a 7.
• On every bet on the craps table, the casino has an edge. It is a situation of bet more, lose more. Even though the player wins something, they do not win at a rate that matches the true odds of the bets.

Quit When You Are Ahead Systems

The main problem with these systems, is when do you say you are ahead? If you win the first bet, do you quit?Of course, not.

A better way to handle this would be to have a win goal and a loss limit. Quit when you hit either, knowing that you may quit earlier than you might want on the winning side.

Summary

• Betting systems abound with good-sounding claims.
• The fact of the matter, however, is no betting system can guarantee a win. Do not fall for the hype.