The Grand Martingale might not be so grand

12 March 2013

By Frank Scoblete

Hi Frank,

I have a couple of questions. I am not sure if they have been asked before and I missed them but nonetheless, here they are.

I was playing a slot machine (Griffin's Gate) and was winning quite often. At times, really big! I was doing so well that I actually made a couple of special trips just to play this machine.

Then all of a sudden it stopped, or should I say I stopped winning on it.

Figuring it was just the law of averages, I continued to play at different times to see if I would win again (because I just knew I could win... right?) but it was to no avail.

My first question is this: Can the casinos recognize a slot that is paying too well and tweak it to not pay out as much?

Question two: Can a casino, seeing that it is me by virtue of my player’s card, program a slot to react accordingly based on my players card being in the machine and therefore limiting me with different odds and can they do this casino-wide?

Thanks for you time.

Joe O.

Dear Joe:

You didn’t experience anything unusual in your play. Streaks, both good and bad, are par for the course. You were lucky to have such a good streak and unlucky to have such a bad streak.

Although it is possible for the casinos to muck around with the programming of machines, it is rarely done. The math favors the casino over time and that is really all the casino cares about. So my guess is that the casino did not change the programming of the machine.

Your player’s card has nothing to do with how the machine is programmed. It merely adds up your points. You don’t have to worry about it saying to itself, “Oh, no, it’s Joe O! Let’s hammer him for winning so much.”

For your letter I am sending you a free copy of my book “The Virgin Kiss.”

All the best in and out of the casinos!

Frank Scoblete



Hi Frank.

A couple of questions. Your book “Casino Conquest: Beat the Casinos at Their Own Games.” Do you discuss all the games of the casino?

My other question is: When you lose a bet do you double up on your next bet or just stick to your same betting amounts?

My friend and I play roulette starting out with conservative betting and increase as we continue on our winnings. We only bet when we see a winning opportunity thus eliminating betting every spin. But there are times when he is alone at the casino and after he loses a bet, he double up the bets plus 25 percent more to recoup the previous losing bet with a small profit on that winning bet.

My disagreement with him is he could run into a losing streak of three or more losing bets. I keep telling him to either bet the same amount again or cut it in half and he will make it up with future winning bets. I tell him patience and being conservative pays off.

Thanks for your comments.

Jaggy


Dear Jaggy:

“Casino Conquest: Beat the Casinos at Their Own Games” covers the non-poker casino games such as roulette, baccarat, blackjack, craps and others. In my upcoming book “Everything Casino Poker” (due out in May) I cover advantage-play machines in video poker, the casino card-room games of Texas Hold’em and Omaha Hi-Lo, and advantage play at Pai Gow Poker.

Your friend is playing the “Grand Martingale,” which is an offshoot of the traditional Martingale where you double up your bet after each loss thinking you have to win one of the upcoming bets, get all your money back, and be ahead. The Grand Martingale is even more aggressive as it adds more to the next bets.

As you stated, it is a bad way to play because sooner or later you hit a losing streak of seven or eight in a row, hit the table maximum, and lose your shirt, pants, shoes, socks and wallet. Your advice was excellent. You are better reducing bets than increasing bets during a losing streak.

I am sending you a copy of my book “The Virgin Kiss” for your excellent letter. If you send me a letter that I publish I will send a copy of the above book. My e-mail address is fscobe@optonline.net.

All the best in and out of the casinos!

Frank Scoblete