Most people that I talk to about gambling have never heard of a martingale betting system. Simply put, a martingale betting system is a type of betting where you are trying to minimize losses by not risking more than you can afford to lose. If you are unfamiliar, a martingale is a type of handicap where a player is able to continue betting or gaming as long as they remain undefeated. The term comes from French playwright and novelist Guy de Maupassant who is most famous for his novel The Horla, which was inspired by his love for betting. In the novel a group of French people are terrorized by an invisible horror called the Horla which they believe is the result of them betting against each other. The story comes from 1898 and the book was first published in French in 1899.
If you want to maximize your martingale betting system you need to understand how the system works and how to apply it correctly. Here is a simple description of how a martingale betting system works.
The Mechanics Of A Martingale
The first thing you need to understand about a martingale betting system is how bets and wagers are settled. When someone places a bet or wager using your bookmaker, the bet is generally considered to be settled when:
- the game ends
- a winner is determined
- a loser is declared
- the betting exchange provides odds that are acceptable to both parties
- the amount of actual cash left over is returned (with 10%) to the player
The key thing to note here is that the bet is settled when these 4 criteria are met. If any of these criteria are not met then the bet is not considered to be settled. For example, if the game ends in a draw then the bet is not considered to be settled. And if all 4 criteria are not met then the amount of the bet left over is returned with no action taken. This means that a martingale is a type of bet where your risk is reduced the more you bet.
How To Place Bets
Let’s now turn to how you can use this knowledge to place bets using your favourite bookmaker. When someone wants to place a bet with your bookmaker then you will firstly be asked to place your stake. This is how much you are willing to risk on the outcome of the bet. Once your stake is placed then the bookmaker will give you the option of placing additional bets, increasing your risk. To begin with, in most situations you should only place bets that you can afford to lose. The reason for this is that you do not want to overload your betting system and potentially hurt its efficiency. Another suggestion is to use a bookmaker that is licensed and regulated by a reputable body such as the British Gambling Commission.
Here is an example of a typical sports bet where you have wagered £100 on the outcome of the match between Manchester United and Liverpool. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, so your stake of £100 was not returned to you. Instead, the betting exchange provided odds of 4.0 (4.0 to 1.0) for Manchester United winning the match, and 7.0 (1.0 to 4.0) for Liverpool winning. These odds are not acceptable to either party involved in the bet, so your stake has not been settled.
In some instances a bookmaker might not provide odds that are acceptable to both parties involved in a bet. In those instances you have the option of either walking away from the bet or rewetting the stake in case your original stake was returned as not acceptable. You also need to be aware that some bookmakers will not allow you to withdraw your funds without a hefty fee, which can be a pain if you do not want to risk losing your stake. In general, if you do not want to risk damage to your credit card then it’s better to walk away from the bet rather than have it settled in your favor.
The Advantages Of A Martingale
One of the primary reasons why someone would utilize a martingale betting system is to minimize their losses. As I stated above, a bet is only settled when certain criteria are met, and in most instances these criteria are met when:
- the game ends
- a winner is determined
- a loser is declared
- the betting exchange provides odds that are acceptable to both parties
- the amount of cash left over is returned (with 10%) to the player
Therefore, in case of a win, your winnings are minimal as your risk was reduced by the amount of your stake. This is highly beneficial as you do not want to risk more than you can afford to lose. In addition, if you do decide to continue playing then you can place another bet with minimal risk. This is because you have already placed a bet with a view to minimizing your risks. In case of a loss, your losses are reduced in the same way as in case of a win. This means that in case of a loss you stand to gain, and conversely, in case of a win you stand to lose a smaller amount of cash.
Many people confuse risk and return on a gamble. Risk is the amount of money you are willing to lose, whereas return is the amount of money you stand to gain or lose. Many gamblers that use martingale betting systems do not want to risk more than they can afford to lose, so they place safe bets with a view to generating a positive return. This way, they can use their bankroll to place even more lucrative bets rather than risk it on one-off, high-risk bets which they cannot afford to lose. As a general rule you should use a martingale betting system for safer, less risky gambling rather than more adventurous games.
The Disadvantages Of A Martingale
One of the primary disadvantages of a martingale betting system is that you are not able to cash out your winnings without incurring risks. In most situations you cannot simply request that your bank refund you the amount of your winnings because in most cases the bank will not be able to return this amount to you due to the nature of the bet. In addition to this, in most cases you will not be able to withdraw your funds from your bookmaker without incurring fees. The key point to note here is that you do not want to enter into a legal battle with the bookmaker because most cases you will lose and this can be a lengthy, expensive process. This is why it is better to walk away from the bet rather than have it settled in your favor.
Another disadvantage of a martingale betting system is that you are not able to use this system with all types of bets. For example, you cannot use it for certain types of sports betting where tie games are not uncommon. In cases like these you would not want to use a martingale system because you do not want to risk losing both ways. When it comes to gambling then you must be aware of the types of bets you can make and used the right tool for the job.
To conclude this section, let’s examine when it is appropriate and acceptable to use a martingale betting system. You should use a martingale betting system when: