The Bankroll and Martingale Blackjack Betting System

What would hinder a powerful blackjack betting system like the Martingale from reaching its potential?

The premise on which Martingale works and builds is that in a string of games it's impossible not to win a round. We may lose several rounds but a one-time win in Martingale wipes out all the past losses. At a table with a $2 minimum, if we bet $2 and lose, we bet $4 next. If we lose, we bet $8. Some more losses and bets come to $16 and $32. When we bet $64 and win, we make up for all our losses, in one sweep.

After winning, we start with a $2 bet again and work ourselves up slowly. What if we lose all ten rounds in a row? The system works only if we stick with it. Even if we lose 15 rounds straight, if we win one the 16th we recoup all losses and earn a little from that. Like, when we lose 4 consecutive games (3+6+12+24=48) we lose $48. But if we win we get regain our $45 loses and earn a profit of $3. Hence, we see that with this system we need to be backed up by a huge bankroll. The blackjack betting system will crumple once we're in the middle of the session and the bet losses have mounted and we run out of money.

But it's not only the bankroll amount we have to consider here. Equally important is the maximum bet allowed at the table. For instance, if we're allowed only a maximum bet of $48 per game (equal to 4 games if the minimum is $2 per game) and we lose in all 4 games, we would be forced to start back to the minimum bet without having the chance of regaining our $48 losses.

The remedy in all these is sound bankroll management. We have to set a betting limit each game session. The betting limit will regulate how much we allow ourselves to lose or win. Some tips say losing 4 games straight is reason enough to quit there and then. Some say we go by half the table maximum. Say the maximum is $30, once we reach $15 without a win, we either quit and look for another table or go back immediately to the minimum or starting bet amount.

Indeed, there is every chance that we're bound to win one game out of many, but other factors should be considered. The best is sound bankroll management.