Sports Betting Systems: Using Popular Gambling Systems

Betting systems offer an entertaining and potentially profitable way to wager on sports. They see you place bets in a systematic and disciplined manner.

Many different staking systems exist in the sports betting world. Some handicappers even sell systems that they guarantee to be winners.

Of course, you don’t need a fancy or complicated betting strategy, especially if someone’s asking you to pay for it. Instead, you can use plenty of classic betting strategies that work.

With that said, here’s a look at how to use popular strategies like the Martingale, Labouchere, and others with sports betting.

Popular Betting Systems

Again, countless sports betting systems exist. Some of these strategies involve complex ways to determine your wagers.

You may become so immersed in gambling systems that you decide to explore them further. But if you’re looking to quickly get started with a solid strategy, then any of the options below will work just fine.

I’ll explain more later on applying these systems specifically to sports gambling. For now, though, I’ll just go over the basics of how each strategy works.

D’Alembert

The D’Alembert is a negative progression system, meaning it requires increasing bets after losses. In this case, you raise your stake by one unit following a loss.

Here are the simple steps to using the D’Alembert:

• Choose a unit size (normally the minimum bet).
• Bet one unit.
• Raise your wager by one unit following every loss.
• Lower your bet by one unit following every win.
• Keep betting until reaching a single-unit wager.

Here’s an example of this system in play:

• $5 unit size.
• Bet $5 and lose (-$5).
• Bet $10 and lose (-$15).
• Bet $15 and lose (-$30).
• Bet $20 and win (-$10).
• Bet $15 and win (+$5).
• Bet $10 and win (+$15).
• Bet $5 and win (+$20).

Fibonacci

This staking system revolves around the Fibonacci sequence, which was developed by Italian mathematician Leonardo Bonacci (simply known as “Fibonacci”).

You use this betting strategy as follows:

• Write out the Fibonacci sequence: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55.
• Create a unit size (usually the minimum bet).
• Use the first number in the sequence as your bet (1 since you can’t bet 0).
• Move to the next number in the sequence following a loss (e.g. 1 to 1; 1 to 2; 2 to 3, etc.).
• Move two numbers to the left following a win (e.g. 21 to 8; 8 to 3; 3 to 1).

A Fibonacci example is as follows:

• Your unit size is $10.
• Bet $10 (1 unit) and lose (-$10).
• Bet $10 (1 unit) and lose (-$20).
• Bet $20 (2 units) and lose (-$40).
• Bet $30 (3 units) and lose (-$70).
• Bet $50 (5 units) and win (-$20).
• Bet $20 (2 units) and win (even).
• Bet $10 (1 unit)and win (+$10).

Labouchere

The Labouchere offers the most freedom out of any system covered here. It provides the ability to determine your desired profits and the bet sizes.

Here are the steps for using the Labouchere:

• Create a number sequence that equals your desired profits (e.g. 3, 4, 5, 4 = $16).
• Add the first and last number together to determine bets (e.g. 3 + 4 = $7).
• If the wager wins, cross off the two numbers.
• If the bet loses, add it to the end of the sequence.
• Continue betting until you go through the entire sequence.

You can see an example of the system below:

• Number sequence is 2, 3, 4, 5, 3 = $17
• You win the first bet of $5—new sequence is 3, 4, 5.
• You lose the next bet of $8—new sequence is 3, 4, 5, 8.
• You win the next bet of $11—new sequence is 4, 5.
• You win the final bet of $9 and collect $17 in winnings.

Martingale

The Martingale system operates on the simple premise of doubling bets after every loss. The objective is to earn all of your losses back as quickly as possible.

Here are the steps behind the Martingale:

• Make the table’s minimum bet.
• Double your wager following any loss.
• Return to the original stake after any win.

Here’s an example of this staking strategy in action:

• The table’s minimum bet is $1.
• Bet $1 and lose (-$1).
• Bet $2 and lose (-$3).
• Bet $4 and lose (-$7).
• Bet $8 and lose (-$15).
• Bet $16 and win (+$1).
• Return to the $1 wager.

Paroli

The Paroli calls on you to double wagers after wins. Following three consecutive wins, you return back to the original stake. You’ll also return to the original bet if you lose at any point.

The Paroli steps are as follows:

• You place the table’s minimum wager.
• You double bets following any win.
• You return to the minimum wager after three consecutive wins, or any loss.

Here’s an illustration on how this betting strategy works:

• Bet $5 and win (+$5).
• Bet $10 and win (+$15).
• Bet $20 and win (+$35).
• Return to the $5 wager.

How to Apply Betting Systems to Sports Gambling

None of the betting strategies covered above are overly difficult to use after a quick explanation. If you’re used to using these systems with casino games, though, then you may go through an adjustment period when applying them to sports betting.

Unlike with casino games such as craps and roulette, sports gambling doesn’t have even-money wagers (pay 1:1). Instead, the bookmaker takes vigorish (juice) from the losing side.

This aspect makes it more difficult to manage wins and losses with a system. Nevertheless, you can work around this issue by choosing bets with -110 odds or -105 odds (if available).

A wager with -110 odds, for example, will pay $10 on a winning $11 stake. This payout isn’t exactly even money, but it’s close enough for the purposes of using a betting system.

Once you know this, you’re ready to move on to applying a betting strategy to sports wagering. Here are a few simple steps for making it happen.

1 – Create a Unit Size

You can theoretically choose any unit size when using a staking strategy. Again, though, your unit should be as close to the minimum bet as possible.

If a real money sportsbook features a $10 minimum wager, I bet $11 with a system. The $11 unit size creates clean $10 wins and, thus, makes it easier to manage the wins and losses.

2 – Choose the Right Odds

As covered earlier, -110 or -105 odds work well with gambling systems. They’re the closest that you’ll get to even-money wagers in sports betting.

They also offer low volatility, which really comes into play with negative progression systems. You don’t want to deal with riskier odds (e.g. +250) when you’re already increasing bets to win back losses.

3 – Know the Sportsbook’s Minimum and Maximum Bets

You should make it a point to know your preferred sportsbook’s minimum and maximum wagers. Knowing the minimum wager helps you figure out what starting stake should be used.

The maximum wager determines how much you can bet up to during a losing streak. A $5,000 maximum bet, for example, is much better than a $1,000 limit.

You’ll hit the latter maximum faster when using a risky negative progression system like the Martingale. At this point, you won’t be able to double wagers and earn back all of your losses.

4 – Wait for the Results Before Taking the Next Step

One highly difficult aspect to using sports betting systems is waiting on the outcomes. You may wait hours or days after betting until the match takes place.

Nevertheless, the point of gambling systems is to act based on the outcome. If you find this difficult, then you can create two separate bankrolls—one for casual betting and another for your chosen system.

You can also focus on live wagering, where bets are continually available throughout a given match. This way, you’ll only need to wait minutes before the next opportunity.

Don’t Substitute Staking Systems for Betting Knowledge

Gambling systems can be highly effective in the short term. Strategies like the Paroli, for example, truly help you capitalize on winning streaks. Systems like the D’Alembert, meanwhile, are great for chasing losses in a skillful manner.

If you’re relying on a staking system to deliver guaranteed long-term profits, though, then you’ll be in for a big disappointment.


A betting system alone doesn’t provide an advantage over the bookies. Instead, it only helps you win more bets in the short run.

The problem with staking strategies is that when they fail, they fail big. You might experience 100 winning days in a row with the Fibonacci. However, that one time when things don’t go right can lead to disaster.

In short, you shouldn’t substitute a gambling system for sports betting strategy. Handicapping, bankroll management, and general betting tips can all boost your odds of winning bets.

With that said, you shouldn’t give up on the pursuit of becoming a more knowledgeable bettor just because you’re using a staking system.

Conclusion

You can certainly use classic staking systems like the D’Alembert, Labouchere, and Paroli in sports betting. However, you should heavily consider the odds when doing so.

Classic betting systems rely on even-money payouts, and -110 odds are close enough. By using a $11 unit, you’ll win around $10 per bet and have little difficulty using systems.

Betting strategies provide more entertainment and can greatly boost your short-term winnings. Again, though, you shouldn’t rely on systems alone to win. Nothing substitutes for expert handicapping skills in sports betting.