There are many gamblers who espouse there are countless "gambling myths", which far too many bettors let affect their playing strategies in the online casino. Some are more "mythical" than others, yet all of them only help to contribute to handicapped betting decisions that, although may sometimes be offset by luck (such is the nature of gambling), subject gamblers to increased risk and volatility. Some of these are specific to particular casino games, while others can be more categorically generalized, such as those used to manage one's bankroll. One that falls into both categories to a certain extent is the Martingale betting system.

A system that can be theoretically applied to any game, for it pertains to the wagering of stakes, the Martingale is primarily used at the games of Baccarat and Roulette. The way it works is that wagers are to be doubled every time a bet loses. Therefore, when the bet eventually wins, it will have recouped all prior losses. However, mathematically speaking, this system does not stand on solid ground.

The everlasting analogy of the coin toss helps to explain why - Just because heads comes up nine times in a row does not mean that tails will come up on the tenth coin toss. The odds are 50:50 every time, which the law of probability confirms. Therefore, nine consecutive losses playing baccarat, does not guarantee a win on the next hand. And when one is doubling their bets on consecutive hands, this can amount to a very large sum of money.

Not only can this potentially cause serious damage to one's bankroll, the efficacy of the system is actually mitigated by casinos who impose limits on betting amounts. This is precisely why the Martingale is primarily used at Baccarat, for the table stakes here are some of the highest. However, if a player even has enough bankroll to get them that far along as to reach the table limit, any consecutive losses thereafter only spell disaster.

Online casinos are no exception to imposing stake limits either. So while the Martingale System looks effective in theory and may work some of the time, it is not a sure fire, trustable strategy and therefore is categorized as a myth to many.

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