Just Ask Scobe and AP

Dear Scobe and AP:

Here's a foolproof way to win! And I'm sharing it with you and all the rest of the gaming world free of charge because we can all become rich by playing this way! When you lose a bet, just double the bet the next time. If you lose that, just double again. Keep doubling and sooner or later you are bound to win, get all your money back, and the initial bet, plus a win. Great ideas are usually simple. This simple way of playing is bound to give you a win. I've used this method of play on five straight trips to the casino and I've won each and every time. I play roulette, red or black, but it can be used on other games too. I am new to gambling and perhaps that's the reason why I've been able to see something no else has. This is a winner!

S.S.

Dear S.S.:

You're right, great ideas are usually simple. But simple ideas are not always great. And your simple idea fits this latter category. What you are describing is not a betting system that you've invented but one that you (and millions of other novice gamblers) have stumbled upon. It's called the Martingale system of wagering. It's as old as the hills and it will eventually do to you what that hill did to Jack and Jill--break your crowns--in this case your bankroll. Frank Scoblete thoroughly analyzes the Martingale wagers in his book, Spin Roulette Gold and his analysis shows us one thing--the casino will not allow you to double your bets indefinitely because they've placed a maximum limit on your potential wagering. If you were to double your bets after each loss, you would hit the casino maximum bet on just the eighth bet in the sequence and you wouldn't be allowed to continue your progression. Eight reds or blacks appearing in a row is not as bizarre an event as you might think. It theoretically happens once in approximately 186 spins. You lucked out in your five visits. But a devastating run is in your future if you continue to bet this way--that devastating run will more than likely wipe out all your previous wins and make you a loser. Reconsider the strategy before you hit the wall and hurt yourself.

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