Pros and Cons Of the Martingale System
Loyal fans that swear by its magic have praised the Martingale system; and it has been strongly dismissed as being a fraudulent system that only serves to encourage chasing losses. At first glance, the system does seem a bit guilty of that of which it has been accused – at its core it is a negative progression betting system. What this means is that after each loss, the value of the wager is increased. The opposite is also true – a win signals that it’s time to downscale. The value of the bet is decreased after a positive result.
Calling For Infinite Wealth
Many have described the Martingale system of being effective only in cases where the player has an endless supply of money. One may liken the system to the act of flipping a coin, and predicting what the outcome may be: heads or tails. If the gambler were to double his bet after every loss – the theory is that the tide would eventually have to turn – enabling the gambler to recover all of the previous losses in addition to recovering his original wager.
However, the very nature of a lucky outcome is based on the premise that no past event will have any measure of influence, to whatever extent, on any future outcome. Theoretically then, it stands to reason that tails is as likely to come up 100 times in a row as it is a smaller number of times, like say, 9. The same is true for heads. This is the nature of the beast we call luck.
Preferred by Nay-Sayers?
We all know at least one nay-sayer; at least one negative Nelly: those that are gifted in the faculty of constantly seeing what is wrong and expecting the worst to come of it, constantly honed in on the negative and of the firm belief that the road to paradise is paved with mayhem and turmoil. And yet, it is perhaps the very expectation that life is fonder of dishing out bitter lemons than glittery moments of gold, which is the driving force behind the Martingale system.
The Martingale system “assumes” that there will be more negative events than positive ones. However, it does recognize that every once in a while something good is bound to come along – and it is then that the opportunity arises to win back all that was lost. The trick is merely to keep going when times are touch, and cash in when the tide turns.
When taking into account that many believe that losses occur more often than wins, the Martingale system does start to make sense – albeit in a warped sort of way.
**Winners Aren’t Quitters **
The truth of the matter is that the Martingale system will always result in a profit – as long as the sequence, however protracted, ends in a win. The rat in the drinking water? A little monster called exponentialism.
Herein lies the trouble at the heart of the matter: losing ten times in a row yields the very uncool result of having lost one thousand units in an effort to retrieve a single one unit. Add to this the very dire possibility that ten isn’t the bend in the road, and you are likely to end up with a catastrophe on your hands.
The other side of the coin? He who persists, wins. Always and without fail.
Beating The House Edge
The Martingale system is a simple one – which makes it attractive even to the greenest of the shoots. There is nothing intricate about it. It is the straight arrow of the betting systems, easy to learn and even easier to master. Variations of the system have evolved over time, examples being the Mini Martingale (preferred by some over the conventional version of the system), the Grand Martingale and – of course – the Anti Martingale.
**Proverbial Killjoys **
Even though the Martingale seems to be a system that constantly expects the worst, with the odd ray of sunshine breaking through the cracks, there is another way to look at it. On the flip side, the Martingale subscribes to the notion that bad luck cannot persist indefinitely. It’s merely a matter of outlasting the bad run in order to reach the turning point.
The Playing Fields
There are a number of games that agree with the way in which the Martingale system works. The most popular of these are Roulette and Craps. In fact, Roulette is the cog that drives the Martingale-wheel. The system is an excellent suitor to the red and black.
The same goes for Craps – the Martingale system has become renowned for offering the lowest possible house edge to those who choose to implement it.
Love it or hate it, the Martingale system is here to stay.