Most players who play casino games at the best online casinos we feature here at CasinoTudor probably alter their stake on a whim, don’t alter it at all or just go with their gut, changing their bets as and when they feel lucky, or when they feel a win is coming.
Staking plans, which can be used for just about all casino games, from blackjack to roulette, craps to video poker and slots to keno, and even sports betting, try to bring a little more science to the question of how much you should bet on a given spin, hand or wager.
There are three main types of staking plan and the first, a level stakes plan, is probably the simplest. In this you decide on a certain amount and that is how much you bet on every “go”, regardless of previous bets or anything else. How you determine your stake varies from plan to plan but in essence, once you have decided how much to bet you don’t alter this.
Negative progression staking plans, the most famous of which is the notorious (and doomed) Martingale, in which you increase your bet/stake after a losing spin or hand. The theory here is that you can quickly regain any losses, with Martingale aggressively doubling stakes after any loss to ensure any future win results in an overall profit (assuming an even money payout).
Positive progression staking plans – it may not take a genius to realize – work the opposite way and your bet increases after a win. The theory here is that as your bankroll is higher after a win you have more cash to play with and so should increase your bet. There is also, of course, an element of betting more when you’re “on a roll”, which is to say that luck and confidence are with you, or that you are making the right calls through skill and knowledge and playing well.
Overall we prefer a mix of a level staking plan and a positive system. Your stake should, we feel, be fixed as a certain percentage of your bank. Thus, for example, if you start with $1,000 and bet $10 per hand at online blackjack, your stake should increase to $15 if you hit a lucky run and build your bank to $15, or decrease to $5 if things go the other way and your balance is just $500.
In conclusion, however, it is often said, quite rightly, that a staking plan cannot make or break you. This is true, and all a staking plan can do is make a good betting system better or worse: it cannot turn a bad bet into a good bet. Given just about all casino games, even at the best online casinos around, favor the house, you should be wary of any system promising guaranteed returns.