 
The Martingale
Part
2: Bad Experience
I have received
the following question via e-mail
in various forms over the last couple
years and thought I would address
it in this week's column.
QUESTION:
IS IT POSSIBLEFOR SOMEONE TO MASTER
THE GAME, AND THEN GO TO THE CASINOS
AND MAKE A WEEKLY LIVING??? I don't
want to count cards, I want to use
a system I learned on the Internet
where you double your bets until
you win.
Most players in
the casino are looking for a system
to help them get the edge. Many
of them stumble upon or hear about
a surefire system that involves
doubling their bets after each loss.
They figure that sooner or later
they have to win. This system that
is called the Martingale system.
It has been the ruin of many players.
Here is how it works. For this example
we will assume you are playing on
a five-dollar table.
First of all most
casinos have a maximum bet. Many
five-dollar tables have a maximum
bet of $500. If you bet using the
martingale where you double after
every loss the progression would
look like this:
You bet five dollars
and you lose.
Your next bet is $10. If you lose:
Your next bet is $20. If you lose:
Your next bet is $40. If you lose:
Your next bet is $80. If you lose:
Your next bet is $160. If you lose:
Your next bet is $320. If you lose:
Your next bet is $640, which exceeds
the maximum bet for the table.
It would only take
eight losses to exceed the table
maximum bet. It doesn't matter how
many times you double up your bet.
You will only win five dollars if
you eventually hit This takes into
account all your progressions up
to that point. Even if you could
exceed the $500 maximum bet, on
the eighth bet you are risking $640
to win $5. You have already invested
$635 on your previous seven bets.
If you lose that one you are out
$1.275. Can you imagine risking
over a thousand dollars for a chance
to win five dollars? The casinos
know that if someone had unlimited
resources they would eventually
win. That is why the set maximum
bets at the table.
Some people who
try the Martingale system have success
with it. They might go many sessions
winning constantly and swear that
it is fool proof. Sooner or later
reality will kick in and they will
discover the flaw in the system.
I know because years ago when I
was naive about the casino world,
I was one of those persons who tried
the Martingale.
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