There are many online blackjack betting systems, and here we will take a look at a few of the more well known systems and those that are regularly used by more experienced blackjack players. Although of course different, they do have a few things in common. Most blackjack betting systems are focused on the bets that you are making, both the amount of the bet and the timing of it being placed. They all assume that you are playing optimal blackjack strategy, as of course, you should be at all times.
The Martingale System
The Martingale system is the most commonly used system, and many blackjack players use it without even knowing that they are in fact using it. The Martingale system is very simple to use and is based around doubling your bet after a losing bet. A simple example would be playing a blackjack hand with $1.00. If you win, walk away and you’ve won, however if you lose you place a $2.00 bet and a win would mean you are at even money, therefore you start again at $1.00 (or your minimum bet). You would simply keep going, doubling your bet until you break even, or walking away when you are at an advantage. The problem with the Martingale system is that no-one has an infinite amount of money, and a bad losing streak would mean you would be placing very large wagers in order to get your money back. Also, all blackjack tables have betting limits, and once you have reached that limit you may go no higher.
The Paroli System
The Paroli system is designed to take advantage of winning streaks, however it does have flaws. The main flaw in the Paroli system is it fails to recognize the fact that each and every bet is independent to the previous. The system works by choosing a number of predetermined wins, let’s say 3. Then for example, you bet $1 on the first bet and if you win you bet $2, and if you win again you bet $4. If at any time you lose your bet, you revert to your original stake of $1, and start again. As you can see, this system relies on a lucky streak, and sure players do have them, but they will also have unlucky runs too, and when using the Paroli system, these runs of bad luck can prove expensive.
The Labouchere System
The Labouchere system is a little different in that bet sizes do not increase as quickly, and it is preferred by many blackjack players. It works when you first set yourself a target, let’s say $5. You then split that $5 into a list of bets, $1, $2, $2 for example. Your wager is then made by adding together the first and the last number of the list, i.e $1 + $2 = $3. If this bet wins then those numbers are crossed off the list, so that just the $2 remains on the list, and this would be your next bet. If that bet wins then you have reached your target of $5. However, if your first bet loses then the value of that particular losing bet is added to the end of the list, so the list becomes, 1, 2, 2, 3 meaning that the next bet in the sequence would be 4. It is slightly more complex and does take a little practice. It is what is known as a negative progression system, and although many players try it, in mathematical practice it simply does not work as it replaces small wins and small losses with small wins and large losses.
