Reflections on Gambling Systems

14 September 2023

By Royal Flushes

CINDY: Well, in the last few weeks we’ve taken a look at some of the classical gambling systems such as the Martingale, the Roulette Columns system, the Paroli, Oscar’s Grind, the Labouchere, and the Fibonacci. Okay, what have we learned? That’s the big question, Abby.

ABBY: I hate to say this but not one of these systems results in consistent wins because not one of them can reverse the house edge and give the player the edge over the casinos.

CINDY: Okay, which systems would be the best and which would be the worst? Not one does what we wish they could do but some are better than others. Yes or no?

ABBY: Yes. I am going to go in reverse order, from the worst one to the best one. The worst one is the Martingale because it makes you think you have an almost unbeatable system of play when you have a system that can absolutely destroy you.

CINDY: I agree. You have many little wins and then boom! You hit a bad streak and get wiped out attempting to win a small amount with a huge bet. Too many casino players have tried this method and I am sure all have been brought down by it.

ABBY: Just as a reminder, the Martingale is a double your bet after you lose system. So, you bet, say, $10, $20, $40, $80 on up until you hit the house limit, maybe seven losing bets in a row. You will win many of your doubles but that losing streak will come sooner or later and you will be destroyed by it. I played it and that happened to me.

CINDY: And to me too.

ABBY: The best one I feel is the Paroli. This is now called the parley or press of a winning bet. It is the most used system by casino players and I am sure most don’t know it is a classical system developed who knows when and who knows who.

CINDY: The classical Paroli is three bets doubled on a win. It would go $10, a win; then $20, a win; then $40 and back down to $10 if you win that last bet. It is not a really dangerous way to play because your worse loss is only that final bet. However, you will not overcome the house edge by playing this way.

ABBY: It is the only classical method I use and I only use it if I am having a really good session at the table. You are trying to push your luck to give you a greater win.

CINDY: I’ll do it too but I will stop quickly if I can’t get that small streak going. I also use it only when I am ahead of the casino by a decent amount. Yes, it is my attempt, as it is your attempt, to push my good luck a little bit. I am hoping for good luck here.

ABBY: Me too.

CINDY: The other methods leave a lot to be desired so I avoid those.

ABBY: I agree one-hundred percent. They may sound good but they are not good at all.

CINDY: So true.

ABBY: Sadly, gambling systems do not really help very much.

CINDY: Or at all.