Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson View Post
For those of you who maintain that Rob has a progressive betting system consider this: if Rob should reach his $2500 win goal at $1 Bonus Poker (the first game he plays in each session) he will leave the casino. How is that a progression?
If I walk up to the Craps Table with an intent to Martingale the Pass Line, but instead I win my first bet, was I not still intending to do a Martingale? The only difference is deniability, since I won my first bet, I could deny that is what I was doing.

Yes, counting cards often involves deck-composition progression betting. Strictly speaking, it's a betting system, especially if you say:

If TC +2, then x

If TC +3, then y

That's pretty much exactly what a betting system is, you change your bet depending on certain pre-described conditions being met. The difference with card counting is that it has a positive expectation because the bets are increased when the player has an advantage. Absent other factors, just playing (most) VP games straight up, the player never enters a hand having an advantage on that hand.

Do you know when a player Martingales the Pass Line at Craps that the casino is Reverse-Martingaling the Pass Line with respect to that player? They don't mind, though, because they have the advantage. Some casinos may also use table limits to limit their exposure, but that's not because of Martingale guy.

As far as, "We're all progression players," I don't think that's strictly true unless the Progression is pre-defined. That's what a system is. It's switching the bet amount and/or playing strategy when a particular hypothetical is met, if x, then y. If you don't predefine your hypotheticals, then I wouldn't really call it a system.