Negative and Positive Progression Blackjack Systems

Blackjack betting systems are commonly used by players to make the game more exciting while attempting to make more profits. The most common system is flat betting, which sees blackjack players make the exact same bet over and over again. Every other type of betting system besides flat betting is either a negative or positive progression. Seeing as how these are the two main types of betting system classifications, let’s take a look at both of them more closely.

Negative Progression Systems

With a negative progression betting system, you vary your betting units following a loss. The most famous negative progression is the Martingale system, which calls on players to double their bets following a loss. For example, let’s say that you bet $10 and lose; your next wager would now be $20. There are lots of other versions of negative progression betting systems – although not all of them are as simplified as the Martingale.

Positive Progression Systems

As you may have guessed after reading about negative progressions, positive progression betting systems see players increase their bets following a win. An easy example of positive progression betting at work involves the Parlay system, where bettors let all of their winnings ride after each win. To illustrate how this works, let’s say you won a $40 bet; your next wager would now be $80 because you’re letting everything ride. Once you get to your desired win limit, you cash out and leave with the Parlay system.

Which Style of Betting Systems are Better?

Debates have raged on about which style of betting systems are better: negative or positive progressions. And the reality is that there’s no clear-cut answer. After all, unless you’re a skilled card counter, using a betting system won’t gain you any edge over the casino. So if you use perfect basic blackjack strategy and lower the house edge to 0.5%, the house edge won’t drop any just because you change your betting units.

With this being said, most people would prefer to stick with positive progression systems because they aren’t as risky as negative progressions. With a positive progression, at least you’re increasing wagers after winning a hand. On the other hand, negative progressions are dangerous because you’re risking more money after you’ve already lost a hand. But positive progressions can be risky too – especially when speaking of the Parlay system where you let all winnings ride. In any case, just be sensible about which system you use, and don’t risk losing your bankroll.

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