There
is really no big blackjack secrets
on how to beat blackjack, but
we offer you the truth about
blackjack gambling systems -
they do not work!
The
Martingale gambling system:
Should you double your bet after every loss at even money games? Would you
not win your original bet for every single win, regardless of how many losses
preceded the win? Can this method lose?
Yes,
this method can and will lose.
This method, known as the Martingale
system, only works if you have
an infinite supply of money and
there is no maximum bet. In real
life you will eventually either
run up against the limit of your
bankroll or the maximum bet size.
Like most gambling systems this
one trades a lot of small wins
for a few huge losses. In the long
run you will lose.
The
Martingale system is also mentioned
in Encyclopedia Brittanica under
the topic "roulette":
"The
oldest and most common betting
system is the Martingale or "doubling-up" system,
in which bets are doubled progressively.
This probably dates back to the
invention of the Roulette wheel,
but every day of the week some
gambler somewhere reinvents it,
or some variation of it, and believes
he has something new. Over the
years hundreds of 'sure-fire' winning
systems have been dreamed up, but
regardless of what system is used,
in the long run it cannot overcome
the house's advantage of the 0,
or 0 and 00. This house advantage
is the only system that consistently
wins in the long run."
The
Truth about gambling systems:
Have
you ever come across someone marketing
a guaranteed winning system for
a way to beat the house at Blackjack?
Some of them actually WORK! That
is, if you have a totally bottomless
pit of money at your disposal.
But
of course all of us can easily
find this bottomless pit......:-)
I think Not...
Let's
face it - gambling systems do NOT
work. You can't beat mathematical
odds which are established by the
rules of the game. If you could,
how would the casinos stay in business?
Why doesn't EVERYONE have access
to the guaranteed, tried-and-tested,
foolproof method of bankrupting
a casino? Because there arent any.
Fortunately,
I never paid for any gambling systems.
If you must spend money, buy a
book called "Beat the Dealer" by
Edward Thorp, the father of card
counting for blackjack.
Blackjack
is perhaps the only game where
one could ever get an edge on the
house. Assuming you had all of
the most liberal rules in your
favor, you could gain an edge of
0.5 percent - frankly, that's hardly
an advantage unless you're willing
to play a few million hands or
so, or perhaps you can afford to
risk $1000 a hand over a long period
of play.
Of
course, you can count cards in
a casino - online it doesn't work,
of course - but counting cards
is not that easy, considering you
also have to know how to manage
bet sizes, as well as the ability
to fool the pitboss into thinking
you are drunk and just plain lucky.
Because if you are caught counting
cards, you will be thrown out with
instructions to never return again
- and there's a great likelihood
that the information will be shared
with other casinos.
Basically,
all these systems are about bet
management. Some of them are suicidal,
such as the Martingale system,
which requires you to double your
bet each time you lose, until you
win.
Others
recommend increasing your bet when
you win - this is a system which
can potentially turn into a lot
of money if you hit a nice streak,
but there is absolutely no guarantee
that you will do so. Besides which
the odds are no more in your favor
with a large bet than they are
with a small bet - in fact, they
are almost NEVER in your favor.
Systems
are a casino's best friend. They
might even encourage you to implement
some sort of betting system.
But
don't take my word for it - if
you don't believe me, try it.
