Betting System Strategy: The 50% Bump

The Smart Gambler’s Progressive Betting System: Riding the ‘50% Bump’.

The Smart Gambler's Progressive Betting System: Riding the 50% BumpEvery avid gambler has some experience with a betting system strategy, whether it’s employing one, or simply researching their value. Some of them are very famous—so famous that they’re named after the people who came up with them. There’s the D’Alembert betting system, the Fibonacci, the Labouchere, and the Martingale, just to name a few.

If you’re not familiar with how they work, there are two very important things you need to know before we continue.

1. First and foremost, no betting system can guarantee a profit. These systems cannot and will not ever turn the advantage to the player. The casino will always have the edge. That’s why they don’t care if you use them (unlike card counting in blackjack, which can get you unceremoniously dumped on outside doors).

2. There are two main types of betting systems; Progressive and Negative Progression. These terms relate to the amount of money bet after each win. A progressive system’s wagers only grow once a profit is established, never risking more than the original bet unit. A Negative progression will increase bets to chase losses, operating on the fallacy that one must eventually win, thereby earning a profit. Simply put, do not employ negative progression betting systems!

The Smart Gambler’s Progressive Betting System

Of all the famous betting systems out there, I find it surprising that the one I’m about to tell you about doesn’t go by any celebrity name. In fact, it doesn’t really have a name at all—at least, not that I know of. I’ve decided to call it the ‘50% Bump‘, based on an old article in which renowned (and unfortunately retired) gambling columnist Mark Pilarski describes the efficacy of the system.

Like any decent betting system strategy, the idea is to minimize losses on a bad streak, and maximize winnings on a hot streak. Here’s how it works…

Riding the 50% Bump

First, choose a bet unit size. For ease of explanation and calculation, I’ll describe a situation with a $10 starting bet unit.

You place your first $10 bet. If you win this bet, your second bet should also be $10. If you win that bet, you’re now up $20. On the third bet, it’s time to starting ride the 50% bump.

Increase your bet 50% to $15. Continue increasing 50% with each consecutive win thereafter. You’re going to run into fractions here so just round up. Next would be $23, $35, $53, $80, $120.

Chances are you won’t win 8 hands in a row, but if it does happen, you just won $293. Stop and take the money! You should probably walk away at this point, but if you choose to stay, start back with a $10 bet and do it all over again.

If at any point you lose a bet, start over. The concept here is that a lucky streak will net big profits, while a bad streak produces minimum losses. For example, if you win 6 hands in a row, you’re up $146. If you lose 6 hands in a row, you’re only down $60.

To summarize the 50% Bump progressive betting system…

Bet Pattern: $10 – $10 – $15 – $23 – $35 – $53 – $80 – $120

If You Win: Follow bet pattern above until you win $120 bet, then start over.

If You Lose: Start back at $10 bet.

Author

  • Trevor Hallsey

    Passionate webmaster, devoted card game enthusiast, and proud son of the Great White North. With over a decade of iGaming experience, Trevor has launched numerous web portals to share his passion for game theory and all things Canadian gaming. With this site, he acts as a fact checker and mostly writes at the intersection of gaming and finance. He aims to offer statistical insights and unique information that you might see lacking in similar sites.

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