Should You Avoid Progressive Betting?

Every spin can be exciting, especially if you’re the kind to play the free slots for fun. When playing slots, progressive slots are also something to look into for better odds. Knowing how progressive bets bode compared to other betting systems work is a great way to establish your playing style, all while attempting to beat the house edge.

Read on as we break down the preconceived notions related to progressive betting systems, how they fare to a negative progression in slot games, and their role in getting better odds in table games like blackjack and roulette.

How Does Progressive Betting Work?

As many pros and newcomers know, progressive betting isn’t always guaranteed when gambling on a slot machine or any casino table game. Progressive betting systems are an example of a betting strategy that is rather straightforward and a no-nonsense approach to managing your wins and losses.

The word ‘progression’ refers to the act of players increasing their bets consecutively based on certain game outcomes prior. Here’s a quick table to help you visualize:

The key is to make adjustments to the size of your stake based on the outcome of your last wager. So, let’s say you won the last round of slots; adjusting your stake on the next round to a higher number is the sound approach to make. Although this may seem like the next natural move when gambling systems review your move, there is still such a thing as positive progression and negative progression to keep in mind.

Positive Progression Betting

When opting for a progressive betting strategy, we’ve mentioned the need to up your stakes every time a wager is won. The alternative is to lower your wagers when you encounter a loss prior. We can say this is a safer way to bet when playing a casino game. All this is to say that the theory behind this approach is about maximization.

 

Let’s say you’re on a winning streak; a positive progression strategy will help maximize your profits. The same goes when losing consistently; the losses will be at a minimum and far easier to manage if you plan on staying hours in the casino.

 

The idea of positive progression working in your favor is possible, but only if you ensure you’re able to accumulate enough small wins before even thinking about increasing your next wager. This principle applies to a majority of casino games, but most especially in a table game of craps.

It’s evident that several players make the error of increasing their bets as soon as they start winning consistently, but this often leads to their discontent when the game is over because they are unable to make any money. It’s vital to remember that striking a balance when using this strategy can immensely make a difference. So, following the rule of increasing stakes after a win and then reducing your stakes when encountering a loss can still make an impact on your profits since you’re still able to protect your pockets from losing fortunes in a few rounds in the casino.

Negative Progression Betting

While a positive progression is the crowd favorite of those who want to make quick wins, other kinds of betting systems can still work to your advantage when used right. However, it’s key to remember that there’s no one way to win it all.

If you’re one to go after a big risk, the negative progression betting system is one skilled player likes to use, thus risking larger amounts of money, even after losing a big bet. This type of betting strategy is about raising your bets after generating losses with the hope of incurring wins later on. Since negative systems have the potential to cause a player to lose their whole bankroll following a string of losses, as was previously indicated, they are typically seen as being exceedingly risky.

Oddly enough, there are multiple types of negative progression betting systems, with the most popular being the Martingale Betting System. This is often used since it involves doubling your bet after every single loss. Other systems we’ll discuss include the Fibonacci System, the Labouchere System, and the D’Alembert System.

Slot Machine Progressive Betting Strategy

Slot games are one of those casino constants you can count on. Whether you’re after the thrill of small wins or after big jackpots, playing on slot machines is a great way to maximize winnings. Through progressive jackpots, even online slot games like Mega Moolah have become a crowd favorite.

In slot games like Mega Moolah, the jackpot gets bigger in value the longer you invest time in playing. How does this exactly work? The player makes a bet, and a fraction of it is allocated for the base jackpot amount. This is also called a seed jackpot, which is pooled with a portion of all the players' bets on the same network betting on progressive jackpots. The process goes until a player wins the actual jackpot, where the seed jackpot goes back to its base amount.

The use of progressive jackpot slots is all the rave and has made an impact on the way other table games are played in physical and online casinos alike. In fact, some of the biggest jackpots can reach whopping sums of money—tens of millions of dollars or euros. The fact that progressive jackpots are now available outside of slots is indicative of their increasing appeal and importance in the larger world of casino gaming.

Progressive Betting Systems in Table Games

The core principle of betting in casino table games can also be applied to progressive betting in roulette and progressive betting in blackjack. This way, players are given the opportunity to determine their betting style and dabble in different types of odds they face in various games.

Hitting 21: Progressive Blackjack Betting

When you enter a casino, it’s no surprise many players love to gather on the blackjack table. You watch the dealer give the players hell until they maximize their side bets and either score or lose a big stake. When dabbling in blackjack, progressive betting approaches can work but with limitations.

Making a progressive bet in blackjack is when a side bet for a progressive jackpot is made. With a certain card combination with this side bet, there are high chances of getting a share of the progressive jackpot. Keep in mind that when applying the blackjack betting progression, four decks of cards are typically used.

In an attempt to win a jackpot payout, you place a side bet, hoping that your two cards would match the dealer's two cards in some way. The result of the base game remains unchanged regardless of your win or loss, and vice versa.

Recoupable Losses: Progressive Baccarat Betting

Known for its low house edge, playing baccarat can bring copious amounts of fun and profit to the table. The way progressive betting in baccarat is the same principle applied to roulette and blackjack. It’s about raising or lowering stakes based on the outcome of prior games played.

The Martingale betting strategy is one of the more popular betting systems used in baccarat, too, since it will eventually recoup losses prior and somehow bring a sizeable profit later on. This is to be applied with the warning that players who use this when playing baccarat will need a sizable bankroll. Of course, like all games, there’s no one-size-fits-all when playing baccarat strategically.

Martingale and Progressive Roulette Betting

As previously mentioned, the Fibonacci betting system is one of the most used in the game of roulette. The betting system's numerical sequence served as the model for this negative progression betting system. The sequence reveals that each new number is the total of the two numbers that came before it. This betting strategy applied to roulette is mainly used on even-money bets.

So, when placing wagers for roulette, bet on the same amount in every round, regardless of the results. Placing an entire bankroll on one bet is one of the more popular roulette strategies aside from the Martingale system. These are ideal for short-term betting and if you don’t plan on spending your whole bankroll on just a table game of roulette.

Going the Progressive Way in Casino Gaming

Simply put, avoiding progressive betting in casino games and slot machine betting is not always the best idea. There are multiple advantages to playing table games using a variety of progressive betting systems; whether it’s positive progression or negative progression, there’s room for developing a betting style and still being mindful of the game. Although it’s often a style players avoid, it’s not entirely the worst play in the book.

Learn more about casino gaming and how betting strategy can influence your style by reading through our blogs at Gamble Spot.