The Ladder and Bar Raising Strategies

This strategy is popular among beginners, many of whom manage to win the desired predetermined sums from betting with this strategy. We will discuss the rules of this strategy, its advantages and disadvantages and also introduce you to a unique version of the ladder. 

The Main Details Behind the Ladder Strategy

The ladder strategy incorporates, as the name implies, several steps. The player takes a certain amount or percentage of the bankroll and begins to bet not on high odds, but on reliable ones. Before beginning to implement the strategy, players should select a final sum that they hope to reach by using the ladder strategy. 

Remember: the lower the desired final sum, the fewer steps that are necessary to take. Usually, players using this strategy will take odds no higher than -330. If there is confidence in certain competitions, then higher odds are sometimes used. The opposite can also be done, as players have been known to take odds even as low as -1000 on certain competitions. 

Each rung of the ladder signifies a new step, with the stake being increased by the amount won from the previous wager. There is an offshoot strategy we will discuss later where players make separate piles when conducting this strategy. 

Example: Initial bank = $10,000 - The player makes clear the goal of increasing that amount by $5,000, or a 50% increase to the bankroll. For each rung/step of the ladder strategy, the player will go all in and bet the entirety of the bankroll, including the amount won from the previous bets.

In this example, the ladder strategy only consisted of four steps, of which the second step was the most risky in terms of odds making it the most profitable as well. 

Drawbacks of the Ladder Strategy

The main risk of the ladder is pretty clear. As soon as a bet loses, the entire structure that was built will be lost. Speaking more clearly, if one bet loses, the entire bankroll will be lost. 

Therefore, players should consider two important factors when using this strategy:

• The foundation of the ladder or the size of the odds used for each new rung or step should be a little lower than the previous bet. At the end of the ladder, when there is only a small amount to go to hit your desired goal, odds higher than -500 should be completely abandoned. Especially if the stakes are high. 

• Players should not chase the monetary result by simply betting on any low odds. Each new bet or step of the ladder should be planned out and analyzed as much as possible. Remember that the best ladders are not completed in an hour two, but in days and even months.  

Ladder Strategy Positives 

Minimal risks are taken when betting with low odds. There is also a complete focus on one bet at a time, meaning that the need to expend large amounts of time searching for bets is unnecessary. 

In addition, when a player has one common bankroll, then each bet will need to be chosen carefully. This factors in added motivation to select level-headed bets, since no player will want to lose the entire pot for one small loss.  

Details Behind Raising the Bars Strategy

In order to reduce the risk of the entire ladder collapsing, another offshoot of this strategy has been introduced which can be referred to as ‘Raising the Bars’. 

The more “bars” that are included means the less chance that many players will reach the desired amount. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, it is difficult to analyze such a high number of games qualitatively, which means that many of these “bars” will fail by the first or second games. Secondly, there is the simple theory of probability. The more bets that you have, the greater chance there is to lose. 

Thus, it is best when employing this offshoot strategy to break up the bankroll into five “bars”, and then beginning to look at stakes and bet amounts. This also gives players a great opportunity to understand which odds and betting markets are bringing the faster and more reliable profits. 

Example: The player’s bankroll is $10,000. The player has decided to break this amount up into four different “bars”, each with a starting amount of $2500. The desired result is a small profit in each of the four “bars”. 

Risky “Bar” 

Relatively risk-free “Bar”

Wild “Bar” with one risky bet

Medium “Bar”

Drawbacks of Raising the Bar

If any less than three “bars” reach the initially set goal, then the player will most likely end up in the red. This is the main disadvantage of using this strategy. The likelihood that more than three “bars” will reach the desired amount is less than when compared to playing with only one “bar”. 

In addition, the player will need to search for a much larger number of bets for each of the different “bars”. The bets need to be original for each different set amount. This process can be long due to analysis of the odds or due to poor quality of bets available.

Raising the Bar Positives

Playing with several separate bankrolls means that a loss will not lead to instant loss of the entire pot. Even in the case of a single defeat, the player will still have several chances to reach the desired final amount. If there is only one “bar” left, then this can also be divided and the process can restart. There are also possibilities to grow multiple pots at once which can lead to the desired goal quicker. 

Conclusion

Both the ladder strategy and its offshoot raising bars, like all other sports betting strategies, do not give a 100% guarantee that the desired outcome will be achieved. These are ideal strategies for players who are just beginning to bet, since the odds used are quite low.

At the same time, players can take this time to learn how to competently assess the odds and competitions. The strategy can give a major boost and helps with things like bankroll management, but should not be taken as a guaranteed way to make millions.