Flat Betting System Guide

Your first foray into the world of online casinos in Ireland can be both thrilling and a tad bewildering. For many newcomers, the main goal is to soak up the fun and explore the diverse range of games on offer. While entertainment should undoubtedly be the top priority, pocketing some winnings should also be on your mind. After all, you're playing with real punts on the line in live casino games!

However, don't expect to win big on games like poker, blackjack, roulette, and craps without a bit of savvy. Players need a well-thought-out plan to guide their decisions and make their bankroll stretch further. A brilliant example of such an approach is the flat betting system. So, what exactly is flat betting, and how can Irish casino players make the most of it?

What Exactly is Flat Betting?

Flat betting is a straightforward and disciplined strategy commonly used in live casinos and various gambling games across Ireland. The fundamental principle of flat betting is its simplicity: you consistently wager the same amount of money on each bet, no matter if you've won or lost your previous wagers. This approach stands in stark contrast to other betting strategies that involve adjusting bet sizes, such as the Martingale or Fibonacci systems, which modify bet amounts based on prior outcomes.

Here are some key characteristics of flat betting in the Irish live casino scene:

Consistent Stake Size: Whether you're playing live roulette, blackjack, baccarat, or any other casino game, your stake remains the same for every round. For instance, if you decide to bet €10, you'll continue betting €10 on every game or hand.

Risk Management: Flat betting is viewed as a safer approach to wagering, as it helps prevent significant losses. By not increasing your bet size after a losing streak, you avoid the potentially rapid depletion of your bankroll that can occur with progressive betting systems.

Simplicity and Ease of Use: This strategy is incredibly straightforward and simple for any player to implement, regardless of their experience level. It doesn't require you to track previous bets or perform complex calculations.

Limited Potential for Rapid Big Wins: While flat betting offers more security, it also means you won't rack up massive wins very quickly, as your bet size doesn't increase even during a hot winning streak.

Suitable for Extended Play: Flat betting is often seen as a sustainable way to enjoy gambling for longer sessions. It allows players to manage their bankrolls effectively and enjoy the game without the stress of significant financial ups and downs.

In essence, flat betting in Irish live casinos is a strategy that promotes steady, controlled play. This makes it a popular choice for players who value risk management and longer gameplay sessions over the pursuit of quick, high returns.

Putting Flat Betting into Practice

A practical example might help solidify your understanding of how this betting system works. Imagine you want to play live casino games with a bankroll of €2,000. Instead of taking the entire amount to the live casino and playing haphazardly, you decide to use only 1% of your budget on any casino bet for a set period, such as a day, a week, or a month.

With a €2,000 budget, 1% means betting €20 per stake. Now, let's say at the end of your gambling period, an audit shows a €200 profit. This suggests your betting sessions are proving fruitful. So, you decide to adjust your flat betting stake to €22, which is 1% of your new total budget of €2,200.

However, it's not always a smooth ride at the live casino. Losses are inevitable, and your initial budget might shrink to €1,500 or even €1,000. Of course, players can lose their entire bankroll if they gamble without a solid strategy. If the worst happens, the flat betting strategy dictates that you continue using 1% of the remaining budget for the next phase.

Flat betting generally ensures you won't blow through your entire gambling bankroll in a single session. If your budget is €200, this strategy gives you at least 100 rounds if your goal is to bet 1% of your bankroll unit. Even when playing luck-based games like slots and bingo, it's unlikely you'll lose all 100 betting rounds consecutively.

Using Flat Betting in Live Casino Blackjack

First and foremost, determine the betting unit you'll use. This unit should be small enough not to decimate your bankroll if you hit a cold losing streak. Next, decide on the exact number of hands you intend to play using this strategy. While 100 hands is often recommended, let your budget be the deciding factor. So, if you have a €100 budget, divide it by the number of hands to determine your bet amount per round.

But before you get excited about flat betting in live dealer blackjack, remember that this is one of the most flexible games in the casino. That’s because some scenarios can compel you to increase your stakes, while others may call on you to lower them.

For instance, players raise and lower stakes in card counting. Players can increase the stakes with strong shoes and vice-versa with weak ones. In that case, flat betting won’t count for anything. But overall, it’s arguably the best blackjack betting strategy for beginners.

Flat Betting in Live Casino Baccarat

Flat betting is more of a baccarat strategy than blackjack. Baccarat is a simple live casino game where players receive two cards on the Banker or Player positions. The idea is to predict a hand total of 9 or 8, also called a natural. If you choose to use flat betting in this game, you’ll most likely end up with a profit. That’s because the Banker and Player bets give you almost a 46% chance of winning a wager. But be wary of the Banker Bet’s 5% commission.

But because flat betting is more about betting to win than caring about the margin, choose the banker bet, which has a lower house edge. Remember, the objective is to bet consistently without losing your bankroll at once.

Common Flat Betting Strategies

The flat betting system has four main divisions. Players can use any of these strategies, depending on the size of their bankroll and experience. Below are the most common flat betting divisions:

Static Flat Betting

This is the safest flat betting strategy. It maintains the core principles of flat betting: to set a 1% stake and use it for extended durations. It's theoretically impossible to lose the entire bankroll or large amounts with static flat betting.

Academic Flat Betting

Many players consider this the most popular flat betting strategy. That's because it leaves some wiggle room to adjust the stake from 1% to 3%. Punters can change the stake amount depending on their confidence, recent results, and knowledge of the game.

For example, you can adjust the stake to 3% during a winning streak to recover more losses. Then, reduce the amount to 1% or 2% during a cold run. You can also increase the stake to 2% or 3% when playing multiplayer video poker with many 'fish' on the table.

Aggressive Flat Betting

An aggressive flat betting strategy is not for the faint-hearted. This strategy calls on players to wager 2% or 3% of their bankrolls for an extended period. That's not all. Players can't change the stake amount even when a cold losing run comes knocking. The idea is that the losing streak will end, and the player will recover the lost amounts during the winning streak. But although this can sound risky, it's not riskier than Martingale or D'Alembert, for example.

Chaotic Flat Betting

Do you think aggressive flat betting is risky? Wait until you try chaotic flat betting. In this strategy, the bet stake should be 3% to 5% of the size of the original bankroll. Some confident players can even increase the size to 10%. If you bet 10%, you'll have only 20 betting rounds with a $200 bet. So, you must be exceptionally good at the game to eke anything out of this strategy.

Does Flat Betting Really Work?

The internet is awash with "snake oil salesmen" claiming that a betting strategy can beat the house edge. Here's the truth: no strategy, including the flat betting system, guarantees a win. That's because luck plays a significant role in the outcome of all live casino games. Even strategy games like poker and blackjack still give a substantial advantage to the house. And if you don't have an optimal strategy, you'll likely face a house edge of between 4% and 6% in these games.

But intelligent bettors don't make conclusions without trying. Betting strategies wouldn't be popular if they didn't improve the winning odds. If you're planning to use flat betting or any other system, use it strictly for bankroll management. Managing your budget properly at the casino will ensure you never run out of money to place a wager. And yes, a winning streak will come by where a betting system will help you recover some, if not all, of the lost amount.

Flat Betting Wagers to Place

Don't use flat betting on any bet you encounter at the casino. Only use it on even-money bets. In live roulette, for example, avoid the tempting straight-up bets and go for even money wagers like red/black, high/low, and odd/even. These bets give players almost a 50:50 chance of winning. In European Roulette, gamers have a 48.6% chance of hitting an even-money wager. As expected, the American version's rate is slightly lower at 47.4%. In live craps, flat betting will come in handy on bets like pass line, don't pass line, come, and don't come.

Flat Betting vs. Martingale

The battle of betting systems will never end as long as gambling is alive. So, how does flat betting stack up against the legendary Martingale? In the Martingale system, players double their wager after a loss, hoping to hit a win and recover everything. Yes, that means doubling the initial bet size regardless of the number of losses.

Below is an example of a player with a $1,600 budget:

• The first bet is $50, which loses.
• The second bet is $100, which is losses.
• The third bet is $200, which loses. The player is now down $350.
• The fourth bet is $400, which loses again. The losses slipped further, down to $750.
• The fifth bet is $800, and he wins. The player is up to $50.

From this example, it's evident that Martingale guarantees a win at some stage. But if the player had lost the fifth consecutive bet, they would have busted their bankroll. In other words, they wouldn't have enough money to continue playing with the Martingale system.

But now, assume the same player is using the $1,600 budget on the flat betting system. They'll place a $16 bet per round for an extended period. If the player is playing even-money bets, they may add a small percentage to their bankroll. So, it's clear that flat betting allows more room to implement a betting strategy than Martingale.

Advantages/Disadvantages of Flat Betting Strategy

You'll encounter diverse opinions about flat betting. While Martingale and Paroli fans might be quick to dismiss it, budget players know the shining points of flat betting. So, to clear any confusion, below are the pros and cons of flat betting: