Bettors and punters rely on their knowledge and luck of the things they bet on, whether it’s football, basketball, or even eSports. However, regardless of being confident in their decision-making, they can still mess up. That’s where betting strategies come in. To simply put it, a betting strategy, or betting system, is an approach where bettors can maximize their profit by increasing their edge.
According to betandbeat, there are tons of sports betting strategies out there but gamblers should focus on evaluating each system’s profitability over the long term. Below are the surefire ones that will give you a more advantageous betting career.
1. Martingale
First on the list is the Martingale betting system, which began in the 18th century. The strategy got its name from Great Britain’s casino owner, John Henry Martingale. Its foundation is rooted in the notion that you have to make up for your losses. Through this method, players need to double their wager for every loss, giving them a larger amount when they win.
The Martingale strategy is best for punters who play in a short period. It’s also the best betting system for both inexperienced and experienced bettors. On the other hand, one of the strategy’s drawbacks and the biggest one is the level of risk it entails. There is no assurance that punters will strike gold with this one. It also is not good in the long run as it quickly depletes money.
2. d’Alembert System
The d’Alembert system is named after the French mathematician Jean le Rond d’Alembert. This betting strategy is like the Martingale or other negative progression strategies but doesn’t require bettors to double their wager. It only makes them add one unit per loss and decrease the wager by one unit per win. For example, the base unit is $15, and when they lose twice in a row, they will add $30.
It is more suitable with roulette, but some punters utilize it in blackjacks or craps. Also, like the Martingale, it is best used to make a short-term profit. Nonetheless, it still has its cons. Bettors will experience a prolonged losing streak, and the potential profit will sometimes be less than expected.
3. Oscar’s Grind
Some of you would think that this one is a name for a 70s dance craze, but it’s not. It’s a positive progression betting strategy that lets bettors add a unit whenever they win. However, when they lose, they will still bet the previous unit’s amount. For example, a punter put $10 on the table and lost; they would still put the same amount. When they win, they will add the same amount and raise it to $20.
The main advantage of this betting strategy is it has a minimal level of risk it gives. It will only change when the bettors win and increase their wager. The strategy helps keep the losses at a minimum but also for the profit.
4. Hedging
Hedging is a general term used in financial fields like investment and stocks, but it’s also used in betting. Its umbrella definition describes it as a risk management strategy that mitigates any losses by taking on the opposite side. Future sports betting is an apt example as bettors place a wager on their original bet’s counterpart.
The most notable advantage of this betting strategy is that bettors can cover both sides of the outcome to guarantee profit. However, the market may move against the wager and leave bettors exposed when this strategy is employed. It will also entail that bettors will agree to take a loss.
5. Arbitrage
Arbitrage betting strategy, or in short arbing, lets bettors wager on all possible outcomes of a bet. This strategy is extremely popular with sports betting as it has two or more results. However, a bettor needs to find two bookmakers with differing odds to maximize the strategy.
Larger wagers are more suitable for this betting strategy and have a low-risk level. However, this results in small-time bettors not using this one due to the wager’s size and profits after fees taken away by the operator. Although it is a great strategy, it has slim profit margins and doesn’t equate to winning. Moreover, some bookmakers or sportsbooks either shut down or limit an account when they see it uses arbitrage betting.
6. Card Counting
As its name implies, card counting is a blackjack strategy where bettors count the cards and guess the next card. It’s primarily done in blackjack, where players guess if the next gives them an advantage or the dealer.
With this betting system, the bettor overthrows the house edge and secures a huge advantage. However, it requires bettors to have a higher level of concentration and juggle counting and other distractions. Another downside of this strategy is almost all casinos are wary of those who practice it.
7. Kelly Criterion
Kelly Criterion or the Kelly bet is a mathematical formula that computes the ideal amount of money to be wagered. The is as follows:
(BP – Q) / B = F
Where:
B – multiple of the bettor’s stake.
P – the probability of winning in decimal form.
Q – the probability of losing in decimal form.
F – the result and the suggested percentage bettors will use from the bankroll.
Straight up, this betting strategy helps bettors to know how much they can bet. Punters can increase their bankroll while defending it from big losses. Still, betting experts advise newbies to stray away from this strategy as it is more intricate. It only works when bettors can precisely make sense of the probabilities.
8. Paroli
The Paroli betting strategy, like Oscar’s Grind, is a positive progression system where bettors double their wager after each win. It’s like the Martingale strategy, but players should pull out after their third win, making it the Reverse Martingale.
With Paroli, players should back out when they reach seven losses. This approach has been in the hearts of gamblers for a long time and is primarily used in roulette and baccarat.
The upside for this one is it is best for beginners with a small amount of money in their bankroll. However, some bettors can surpass the 7-loss mark, and they will have a hard time making up for the loss.
9. Stan’s System
Stan’s betting system is computer software used to tell bettors how much they will wager. It works on ranges (6 to 61), and players can set their preferred range between the standard one. For example, the player placed their range from 15 to 25. If they win on the first try, their unit will be notched down to 14, and it will go up if they lose.
Most bettors like this system because they can’t lose if they can maintain a winning streak. The only downside to this strategy is outdated.
10. Winning Edge Roulette
The Winning Edge Roulette is a very easy strategy to use when playing roulette. Players need to choose what color they want to bet on and stick to it. Bettors will play the top number of the series with one chip.
When they win, they will play the top and bottom numbers with one chip plus 2. However, when they lose, they will put the amount they lost on their list and bet on the top number instead.
It’s easy to follow, but the main drawback to this strategy is it can take half an hour or more to finish a series. Moreover, it may diminish the fun bettors will have when gambling due to computing and taking down notes.
What’s Your Takeaway?
We want to make the most out of anything we do, and the same goes with bettors. Combining knowledge, luck, and one of the strategies on the list will result in effective and profitable betting. Still, these strategies should never be considered as anyone’s sole means of creating money but as additional income.
