Paroli Betting System: The top dog of progressive gambling strategies.
Every gambler thinks they’ve got the best strategy for winning. Some rely on mathematical probabilities. Others lean on the exploitation of inevitable hot and cold streaks. A few believe in good luck charms, itchy palms, or the energetic auras that games put off. Whatever it is you’re after, if you’re reading this, odds are you’ve heard about a very common betting strategy known as the Paroli System.
Paroli is a term of French origins, and the foundation from which the word “parlay” came from. To parlay is to take something and make it greater is size; in this case, your bets. There are many who swear by the value of this strategic betting method. We’ll take a look at how it works, and whether a progressive system like this one is any better or worse than negative progression systems like the Martingale System.
Paroli Betting System – How it Works
This is perhaps the simplest of all betting systems, due mostly to its steady, progressive nature. To use it, the player must select a low, single-unit bet size. We’ll say $1, for ease of calculation. It can be $2, $5, $10 – the amount doesn’t matter so long as it’s no more than 1/4 the table minimum, and preferably no more than 5% of your total bankroll (i.e. $5 max with $100 to bet).
Here’s how it works:
– Place 1-unit bet to start. If you…
– Lose – Start over with 1-unit bet.
– Win – Double your bet (2 units).
– Lose – Start over with 1-unit bet.
– Win – Double your bet again (4 units).
– Lose – Start over with 1-unit bet.
– Win – Double your bet once more (8 units).
– Lose – Start over with 1-unit bet.
– Win – Start over with 1-unit bet.
The chart to the right shows a hypothetical situation, depicting the potential of the paroli progressive system.
Basically, if you win, you double your bet every time up to three wins in a row. If you win three in a row, you drop back to a 1-unit bet. Anytime you lose, you also drop back to a 1-unit bet. By doing so, you’re exploiting hot streaks and risking minimum amounts during cold streaks.
Pros and Cons of Progressive Paroli
The benefits of the Paroli system and similar other progressive betting systems is superior ROI management. Your investment is minimal. Can you lose everything? Absolutely! Mathematical probabilities state that, over the long term, you will lose. The casino always has the edge, and they always will. They would be out of business by now if such gambling strategies were so effective. But there is something to be said for its risk minimization.
All you need is a few streaks of good luck to snag a profit with this system. If you win your 3 consecutive bets, you’re up 12 units. Each loss will either put you back to even, or cost you 1 unit, depending on the previous result.
Negative progression systems, like the Martingale, require you to bet more each time you lose (as opposed to when you win). It seems so simple – always double your bet until you win – but if you lose 8 times in a row, you’ll hit the table limit, and be down over 250 units. A cold streak so long is rare, but they happen, and will be crippling when they do.
As for the ROI-friendly paroli betting system, the biggest problem is that you’re not going to get rich off it. Systems like this only work well on games like baccarat or the even-money wagers in roulette. You need the odds to be as close to 50/50 as possible. In order to make any decent size profit, you’d have to use the system for a long time. The longer you play, the more likely you are to encounter the effects of mathematical probabilities, which – as I stated before – are not in your favor.
