Martingale System in Blackjack
The Martingale System is one of the most popular betting strategies in blackjack and other games. It is a negative progression system where players increase their bet each time they lose. How effective is the strategy, though? And is it better than other strategies? In this Martingale strategy blackjack guide, we are going to explore the system and tell you everything you need to know.
What is the Martingale System in Blackjack? Explained
The Martingale System is a negative progression blackjack strategy where players double their stake each time they lose. They continue to do this until they hit a win. By doing this, when players hit a win, they will be up by one unit from their original stake.
How to Use the Martingale System in Blackjack
Let’s take a look at this in practice, starting with a £1 bet. If you lost the first £1 bet, you would double to £2; if you then lose this, you would double to £4, and then to £8 with another loss. If you won with the £8 bet, you would get £16 back. This would be a profit of £1, as the combined total of the previous bets is £15. Let’s take a look at a quick example:
| Stake | Result | Profit |
| £10 | Loss | -£10 |
| £20 | Loss | -£30 |
| £40 | Win | +£10 |
| £10 | Win | +£20 |
The strategy depends on players eventually hitting a win, with the strategy being particularly effective when used in the short term. Of course, like all strategies, it is not without its flaws, and players can quickly eat into their budget if they hit a losing streak.
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Martingale Betting System Types
The Martingale Betting System was originally invented by French mathematician Paul Pierre Levy back in the 18th Century. In the centuries since, the strategy has been used all over the world, with different variations of the method being used. The following are the most popular Martingale betting system types and how to use them.
Classic Martingale
The Classic Martingale, as its name might suggest, is the most popular version of the method used. For this, players simply double their bet every time they lose and continue to do so until they win. The process then starts again.
Anti-Martingale
The Anti-Martingale is a reverse of the traditional Martingale system. For this, players half their bets whenever they lose and then double them whenever they win. Like the Martingale System, there are plenty of detractors that note the requirement for a huge budget to get the best from the method.
Mini Martingale
The Mini Martingale works in the same way as the Classic Martingale; only there is a limit in place on the number of times a player can double up. Doing this can help players control their spending and is a much more responsible approach to take.
Grand Martingale
The Grand Martingale uses the same system as the Classic Martingale, except it ups the ante by adding an extra unit every time you double your bet. Needless to say, there are a lot of arguments against this system, the biggest being that it can quickly destroy your bankroll and requires a big initial budget. Of course, the winning potential of this method is higher than any others due to the increased bets being placed.
Martingale Blackjack Double Down Strategy
You may also see the Martingale Blackjack Strategy called the Double Down Strategy. The two names are interchangeable, with the act of doubling down being key to the Martingale Strategy.
When a player doubles down, they double their previous bet. This is what players must do each time they lose using the Martingale System. This is also used in the Anti-Martingale system, though a player doubles down when they win, as opposed to when they lose.
Advantage Of Using Martingale System
The Martingale System is one of the most popular blackjack betting strategies, and upon closer inspection, it is easy to see why. The system has been known to be extremely profitable in the short term for players. Players who do not go on a losing streak of five or more games can quickly build up winnings using this method.
It is also one of the easiest betting strategies to understand, which makes it the perfect strategy for both beginners and more experienced players. There is no need to learn any complex betting or to have an in-depth knowledge of the game itself.
Disadvantage Of Using Martingale System
Like all blackjack strategies, there are some disadvantages to using the Martingale System. The biggest of these is that it relies on players landing a win and not going on a long losing streak, which is always possible.
For most players, losing five or six games in a row and doubling down on each one will quickly eat into their budget. If you start at £1, by the time you have lost six bets, you are going to be £63 down, which is a big jump.
Even if you have the budget to keep doubling down on a losing streak, casinos will have a bet limit, and it will not take long to reach this, even if you are starting low.
Detailed studies have been completed on the Martingale System in other games, such as roulette, and the majority of them have highlighted the fact that, like most strategies, it is mostly ineffective in the long-run.
