A betting system is basically a way of using money management to maximize your profits. Managing your money properly is the major criteria while playing blackjack, as no technique or method can win you money unless you effectively deal with your bet.

Most blackjack betting systems can be categorized as multiplicative, additive or linear. The Martingale system is considered to be the most widely used blackjack betting system. It was invented over 200 years ago. The system is multiplicative in nature, which means that you are required to double your bet each time you lose, on the assumption that you will eventually win and show a profit from the initial wager. However, in order to eliminate the effectiveness of this system, casinos have set table limits, which ensure that after a long losing streak you will eventually hit the table maximum limit and have to quit the game or start afresh. Also, in order to make the system work you also need a considerable bankroll.
The Progressive Betting System, on the other hand, is the simplest and the most effective betting system. In this system, a player simply decides on a minimum and maximum bet and then bets the smaller amount after a loss and the larger amount after a win. However, this kind of betting system fails when you experience a win, loss, win, loss type of scenario. In such cases, it is advisable to bet an equal amount on each hand.

D’Alembert is a simple linear system named after the eighteenth-century theorist Jean le Rond d’Alembert. In this system, you raise your bet by a fixed amount if you lose and lower it by a fixed amount if you win. The Anti-Martingale system requires that you double your bets after a win instead of a loss, the reverse of the Martingale system. There is a high probability of a small loss and a small probability of a huge win, as when you lose a bet you have wiped out your wins plus one unit.

Although there are various other kinds of blackjack betting systems as well, no one can guarantee positive results. Therefore, it is advisable to rely on one’s own intuition while placing big bets.

By: Kevin Stith

About the Author: