Chase Betting System

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Chasing betting systems are a controversial tactic in sports betting. Of all the debates over the best staking methods for sports betting, chasing is almost universally criticized.

But is there ever a time when it makes sense to chase your bets?

While most bettors would say no, let’s take a closer look at the chase betting system and see if there’s ever a time to reject common knowledge and chase your bets.

What Is Chasing A Bet?

If you’re not familiar with chase betting, we’re going to elaborate in this section. Chasing a bet is essentially betting for the sake of trying to recover for a loss.

For example, let’s say you had $1,000 that you bet on various Sunday NFL games at 1:00pm ET. As it turns out, you lost them all. That’s quite the risk; with single game NFL odds & spreads a safer betting option for those new to betting that involves less strategy and more facts

As a result, you decide to deposit $2,000 into your sports betting accounts and bet all of that so that you can not only win back your $1,000 but also try and make money on top of that.

In this case, you’re assuming a massive amount of risk in attempt to chase a loss or losing streak.

BaseballBetting

Why Is Chasing Bets A Bad Strategy?

Many professional bettors are opposed to chasing bets because they are often motivated by emotion rather than opportunity and logic. There’s always that stinging feeling after losing a sports bet and many bettors can’t handle it. Many bettors just want to recover their losses as soon as possible.

This approach is problematic because logic tends to go out the window. If you’re betting $50 per game but then need to recover $200 in losses, you might find yourself wagering $400 to get it back.

That wasn’t the original plan. You’re only doing it now to recover your funds, not because you wanted to place this $400 worth of bets.

Such an approach also brings into question the actual picks: were you planning to bet the second wave of games to begin with or are you merely betting them because you want to recover your money and those are the only games left on the board?

Typically, chasing bets includes emotions, large bets and shaky logic. That often leads to even more losses. That’s why so many experts are opposed to it.

What Is A Chase Betting System?

Developing a chase betting system requires following a team or a specific type of bet and simply chasing the bet if it loses.

For example, let’s say you decide to bet on the New England Patriots for the entirety of the regular season, which is 16 games. If you bet $100 on their first game and they win, you bet $100 on their next game.

As long as they keep winning, you keep betting $100 on the game.

However, if they lose, you double up to recover the first loss and win on the second. In other words, if they lose, you’d bet $200 on their next game. If they lose, you double up again until they win again. Then you start again from scratch. We’ll map it out for you in a simple example using a -110 betting line for every game:

Game 1: $100 is bet. You win $91.

Betting

Game 2: $100 is bet. You win $91.

Game 3: $100 is bet. You lose $100.

Game 4: $200 is bet. You lose $200.

Game 5: $400 is bet. You lose $400.

Game 6: $800 is bet. You win $727.

Game 7: $100 is bet. You win $91.

At the end of this, the bettor is up $300. It could have been worse but because they chased the losing bet in Game 4, 5 and 6, they recovered the losses and ended up ahead in the end.

The Martingale System and D’Alembert Systems both involve chasing losses, though they do not require you to focus your efforts on a single team or wager type all season long.

What’s the Downside?

The downside to chase betting systems is felt when your team hits a losing streak. Most bettors simply don’t have a big enough bankroll to handle it.

Take the example from above. Our player is betting about $100 per game, meaning they could be risking an $800 bet after just three losses. That’s a fairly unnerving prospect, and for good reason.

What if the team in the example above went on a five or six-game losing streak? Now we’re talking about betting $1,600 or $3,200 on a single game.

Imagine our player is risking $200 per game instead of $100. They’d need $3,200 and $6,400 to chase the bets mentioned above. Sure, if you have endless piles of cash, you should eventually turn out fine but sports can be unpredictable. No one knows for sure when a losing streak will come to an end.

And therein lies the problem with the chase betting system. Most bettors start off thinking “that losing streak can’t go on forever” and start betting against it. However, the Washington Capitals and San Jose Sharks once lost 17 games in a row, the Cleveland Cavaliers once lost 26 in a row, and the Philadelphia Phillies lost 23 in a row.

A lot of bettors try to employ this strategy at the roulette table with red and black, thinking that if you keep betting one color consistently and chasing your bets, you’ll eventually win.

That’s certainly possible, but in reality, there’s no correlation from spin to spin. If you don’t understand why, we strongly suggest you familiarize yourself with the Gambler’s Fallacy.

Avoid All Chase Betting Systems

On the surface, these systems might seem to make sense: bet the same pitcher, bet the same team, bet the same team only when they play at home and keep doubling up to recover your money if they lose.

Don’t be seduced by the simplicity of this approach. Even though we are hard-wired to expect different results from repeated events, reality is very different.

To start, you need a huge bankroll to sustain yourself through losing streaks. Secondly, who knows how long a losing stream can go? You need to have quite the stomach to dedicate yourself to a chase betting system, as you’ll start wagering some really big amounts when you lose three, four, or five times in a row.

You can undoubtedly win money betting on sports, but using this type of “bet it blindly” system is a shortcut that usually doesn’t work out very well for anyone but the sportsbook.

Looking for some reliable strategies based in sound logic? Check out our sports betting strategy section for more.


Chase theory betting system is used in sports betting and horse racing. Designed in 18th century France, the chase theory is one of the simplest forms of gambling. The strategy simply states that the punter must double their bet after every loss, so when the punter does eventually win, he will make back whatever they lost and more depending on the odds.

Chase theory betting system was designed for the punters that have a large bankroll and, like all betting, requires an amount of luck in order to avoid losing your stack.

Punters will always recoup their losses with the chase theory, but there are some points which you need to be aware of

Most important using the chase theory with a small amount of money isn’t the ideal betting strategy. The chase theory is designed for punters with bigger bankrolls which can handle a losing streak. Should your bankroll by $100 and you’re betting $10 in the opening race, your bankroll can only sustain a series for four straight losses.

$10 bet placed
$10 x 2 = $20
$20 x 2 = $40
$40 x 2 = $80

With four losses your bankroll ends at $80 and you will have to start the chase again, but you will end up with a net loss on your first attempt.

Punters with larger bankroll have every chance to sustain a significant losing streak, but it’s not for the faint hearted.

If you do find yourself in the middle of a losing streak then your betting levels can reach big numbers. Some punters aren’t comfortable betting big numbers on horse racing, and if that’s the case, the chase theory isn’t the betting strategy for you.

Mlb Chase Betting System

It’s important to know that chase theory punters can still make a profit despite only tipping more losers than winners. Without using a chase theory, it’s tough to break even if you’re picking more losers than winners.

Remember chase theory is also known as the Martingale betting system – it also happens to be one of the most risky.

There is an element of risk with all forms of gambling. Whether it be betting on baseball, horse racing or playing blackjack, but the chase theory is designed to eliminate any risk of losing over a lengthy period of time.

The chase theory betting system is more commonly used in sports betting where the result is 50/50, but horse racing punters can use the system to good effect.

Odds are a key aspect to winning when using the chase theory and it’s vital that punters know what odds to take.

Chase Betting Systems

It’s nearing impossible to make money using the chase theory when you’re taking odds lower than $2. In order to make back what you have lost during your losing streak, your winning bet must be at $2 or higher to at least break even. $2 will see you earn your money back and any odds higher will see you make a profit. Punters must not fall into the trap of betting on short priced favourites as this is the biggest mistake you could make when using this system.

Punters should try and pick their spots. Using the chase theory to bet blindly isn’t suggested and it takes time to figure out which horses to target for this strategy.

Some punters have had success using the chase theory on only one horse. The longer it takes a horse to win a race the longer its odds typically are, so punters using this strategy are often seen as “chasing your losses punters”, but it’s simply the chase theory in work if you’re sticking with the formula.

When using chase theory – never stray away from doubling your bet. The point is to make your money back with some profit after a string of bets, not after your first bet loses.

Stick with the game plan. Double your bet after a loss and when that win does come, start from scratch and do it all again.

Below is an example of how chase theory betting can return profits with a losing record.

Example 1: Punter bets $100 per race on a horses paying $2.50 for a total of 10 races

Bet 1: Winner ($150)
Bet 2: Winner ($150)
Bet 3: Loss (-$100)
Bet 4: Loss (-$100)
Bet 5: Winner ($150)
Bet 6: Loss (-$100)
Bet 7: Loss (-$100)
Bet 8: Winner ($150)
Bet 9: Loss (-$100)
Bet 10 Loss (-$100)

Example 1 punter loses six of his 10 bets and returns $0.

Example 2: Punters uses the chase system and starts off with a $25 bet

Bet 1: Winner ($62.50)
Bet 2: Winner ($62.50)
Bet 3: Loss (-$25)
Bet 4: Loss (-$50)
Bet 5: Winner ($125)
Bet 6: Loss (-$25)
Bet 7: Loss (-$50)
Bet 8: Winner ($125)
Bet 9: Loss (-$25)
Bet 10 Loss (-$50)

The downside to chase betting systems is felt when your team hits a losing streak. Most bettors simply don’t have a big enough bankroll to handle it.

Many professional bettors are opposed to chasing bets because they are often motivated by emotion rather than opportunity and logic. There’s always that stinging feeling after losing a sports bet and many bettors can’t handle it. Many bettors just want to recover their losses as soon as possible.

Baseball chase betting systems

Baseball Chase Betting Systems

Chase Betting System

This approach is problematic because logic tends to go out the window. If you’re betting $50 per game but then need to recover $200 in losses, you might find yourself wagering $400 to get it back. That wasn’t the original plan. You’re only doing it now to recover your funds, not because you wanted to place this $400 worth of bets.

Such an approach also brings into question the actual picks: were you planning to bet the second wave of games to begin with or are you merely betting them because you want to recover your money and those are the only games left on the board.

Typically, chasing bets includes emotions, large bets and shaky logic. That often leads to even more losses. That’s why so many experts are opposed to it.
The Martingale System and D’Alembert Systems both involve chasing losses, though they do not require you to focus your efforts on a single team or wager type all season long. (with inputs from various sources)