The 1-3-2-6 betting system is a positive progression strategy that can be used on a number of popular casino games at leading online casinos. Players enjoy the simplicity of the 1-3-2-6 betting system and its ability to capitalise upon short winning streaks. It is not a particularly aggressive approach, so it is suitable for all bankrolls, and it is very popular among blackjack, roulette, baccarat and craps players. This 1-3-2-6 betting system guide
How the 1-3-2-6 Betting System Works
The 1-3-2-6 betting system tells you how much to wager on each hand, spin of the wheel or throw of the dice. You simply follow the 1-3-2-6 system sequence until you lose, at which point you start again. It derives from the Paroli system, which also aims to make the most of short winning streaks, but the 1-3-2-6 system is a little more aggressive.
You can apply the 1-3-2-6 system to table games with even money odds, such as red/black or 1-18/19-36 on the roulette wheel. Of course, the slight house edge means that these are not quite even money bets, but it is applicable to all bets that are close to 50/50. This article will explain a 1-3-2-6 blackjack betting system, 1-3-2-6 roulette system, 1-3-2-6 baccarat strategy and 1-3-2-6 craps strategy to show you how it can be applied to those popular games.
First you must set aside a bankroll, which is an amount you are comfortable with losing in a worse case scenario. Then you choose a percentage of that bankroll as your base unit price. Some people choose 1% of their bankroll as a unit when following the 1-3-2-6 system, and others go up to 5%. It varies depending on how bold you are feeling and how long you want to spend at the table.
Related Reads
- Online Casino Betting with the Fibonacci Betting System
- Online Casino Betting with the D’Alembert Betting System
- Online Casino Betting with the Paroli Betting System
Let’s say you have £200 in your bankroll, and you decide to make your base unit 5% of that bankroll. That means your base unit is £10. You then follow the 1-3-2-6 system sequence, multiplying your base unit by each number to determine how much you should wager each time.
Your first bet is for one unit, so you would wager £10. If that wins, your next bet will be for three units, which is £30 in this 1-3-2-6 betting system example. If you lose, you go back to the beginning and bet one unit again, but if you win you keep progressing. That is why it is called a positive progression system, as you move forwards when winning rather than increasing your stake after losing.
You third wager in a winning streak would be for two units, which is £20 in this example. Your fourth wager would be for six units, which equates to £60. If you complete the sequence, you start again at one unit. You will win 12 units if you manage to complete the sequence. Keep going until you complete it again, or decide to walk away.
This hypothetical chart shows the 1-3-2-6 betting system in practice:
| #️⃣ Wager | 💰 Stake | 🥇 Result of Bet | ⚖ Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1️⃣ First Bet | £10 | Loss | -£10 |
| 2️⃣ Second Bet | £10 | Win | £0 |
| 3️⃣ Third Bet | £30 | Win | £30 |
| 4️⃣ Fourth Bet | £20 | Loss | £10 |
| 5️⃣ Fifth Bet | £10 | Loss | £0 |
| 6️⃣ Sixth Bet | £10 | Win | £10 |
| 7️⃣ Seventh Bet | £10 | Loss | £0 |
| 8️⃣ Eighth Bet | £10 | Win | £10 |
| 9️⃣ Ninth Bet | £30 | Win | £40 |
| 1️⃣0️⃣ Tenth Bet | £20 | Win | £60 |
| 1️⃣1️⃣ Eleventh Bet | £60 | Win | £120 |
| 1️⃣2️⃣ Twelfth Bet | £10 | Loss | £110 |
| 1️⃣3️⃣ Thirteenth Bet | £10 | Loss | £100 |
| 1️⃣4️⃣ Fourteenth Bet | £10 | Win | £110 |
| 1️⃣5️⃣ Fifteenth Bet | £10 | Loss | £100 |
| 1️⃣6️⃣ Sixteenth Bet | £10 | Loss | £90 |
This example shows how powerful the system can be if you manage to string together a run of four wins. Just half of the bets were successful, but the player is ahead by nine units after 16 bets. However, winning streaks of four are not all that common, so the picture is often not quite so attractive. Yet the 1-3-2-6 betting system remains a pretty conservative approach, as you always go back to one unit after a loss, and you only ever wager six units in the event of a winning streak of three.
By contrast, you can end up placing very high wagers when chasing losses with a negative progression strategy like the Martingale or the Fibonacci. The 1-3-2-6 betting system is also a little more ambitious than the Paroli system, which requires you to double your stake after each win, but go back to one base unit after winning three in a row, or after each loss.
There is a 1-3-2-6 betting system variation called the 1-3-2-4 pyramid strategy. This maximises the potential of winning streaks larger than four. If you reach the number 4 in the 1-3-2-4 pyramid, you move to 2-6-4-8. If you somehow manage to win all four of those bets, you then go to a 4-12-8-16 series. Twelve wins in a row sees you earn 70 units, compared to 36 units when using the 1-3-2-6 betting system.
1-3-2-6 Betting System Pros and Cons
These are key reasons why the 1-3-2-6 betting system has proved popular among casino players:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 👍 The 1-3-2-6 betting system is easy to follow. There are alternative strategies that require much more concentration, such as the Fibonacci betting system or the Labouchere system. You do not need a pen and paper for the 1-3-2-6 betting system, and you are unlikely to make a mistake, as you only have to remember four numbers. That means you can relax more and enjoy the game. | 👎 There are more aggressive strategies for capitalising upon winning streaks. For example, the reverse Martingale encourages you to double your stake after each win and keep going until you finally lose. If you were to win seven hands in a row, that you would be 127 units ahead, and you might decide to walk away with a profit rather than betting 128 units on the next hand. If you win seven bets in a row when playing the 1-3-2-6 roulette system, you will be just 18 units ahead, so it is unlikely to appeal to ultra-aggressive players. |
| 👍 Losing streaks are never too painful when you follow a 1-3-2-6 blackjack betting system, 1-3-2-6 baccarat strategy, 1-3-2-6 roulette system, 1-3-2-6 craps strategy and so on. Negative progression strategies require you to increase your stake after each loss, so your bankroll can be quickly depleted during a lengthy losing streak. However, the 1-3-2-6 strategy is a positive progression method, so you simply keep losing one unit per hand until you win. | 👎 You do not chase losses, so it can be difficult to return to breakeven after going on a few losing streaks. If you follow the Martingale strategy, you keep doubling your stake after each loss, so in theory you will eventually get back to zero when you win. That is not the case with the 1-3-2-6 betting system, and it can be a little demoralising to earn a few wins and still be down overall. |
| 👍 You capitalise upon winning streaks, which is not the case when following alternative approaches. For example, if you simply bet one unit per hand, you would be four units ahead after winning four bets in a row. That is also the case with many negative progression systems. However, a run of four straight wins with the 1-3-2-6 system earns you 12 units. | 👎 The system only profits when you secure winning streaks of two or four, which can feel quite limiting for some players. |
| 👍 Chasing winning streaks rather than losses can give many players a psychological boost. If you like the idea of gaining momentum with winning runs, while keeping losses small and steady, you will probably enjoy following a blackjack betting strategy 1-3-2-6 or a 1-3-2-6 roulette system. | 👎 No system is foolproof and it cannot overcome the inherent house edge that casinos build into their games. |
| 👍 It builds upon the Paroli strategy by aiming for winning runs of four as opposed to simply three. It might therefore appeal to people who like a positive progression approach and want to be a little more ambitious. | |
| 👍 The system can be applied to most popular casino games, and it helps you think strategically about how to manage your bankroll, rather than simply making up random stakes depending on how you are feeling throughout a session. | |
| 👍 You do not need a particularly large bankroll to play using this strategy, as you do not ramp up your stake after a loss, and you always go back to betting one unit if you win four in a row. You do not need to worry about exceeding table limits, as the most you will ever wager is six base units. |
Each system has its strengths and weaknesses, but it is generally best to follow some sort of strategy if you want to feel in control of your bankroll. You can also check out the D’Alembert, Fibonacci, Martingale, Paroli, Labouchere, Kelly Criterion or Oscar’s Grind strategies, read their pros and cons, compare them against the 1-3-2-6 betting system and decide which one appeals the most to you. Remember that most of these strategies can also be reversed, turning them from positive to negative progression systems, and vice versa.
1-3-2-6 Blackjack Betting System
Blackjack fans that want to follow a simple positive progression strategy often adopt a 1-3-2-6 blackjack betting system. It works really well on blackjack due to the low house edge. It can vary on some of the more exotic variants, but the RTP for classic blackjack is north of 99%, resulting in a thin house edge. Your chances of success with each hand are very close to 50/50, so you can certainly go for a blackjack betting strategy 1-3-2-6.
If you want to use a 1-3-2-6 blackjack betting system, you must first decide what your base unit will be. This should not change while using a blackjack betting strategy 1-3-2-6 in a session at the table. Some people like to set a bankroll at the start of the session, and then make one base unit a specific percentage of that bankroll.
Let’s say you decide to set £5 as your base unit. You would start the blackjack betting strategy 1-3-2-6 by wagering one unit, which is for £5. If that loses, you start again by betting £5. If it wins, you move along the 1-3-2-6 blackjack betting system sequence and bet three units, which is £15.
If your second bet loses, go back to the start and bet £5 again. If it wins, move on a bet two units, which is £10 in this 1-3-2-6 blackjack betting system example. The final step of the blackjack betting strategy 1-3-2-6 is to bet six units. You only do this if you have won three bets in a row.
If you lose your fourth bet, it wipes out your winnings from the previous three wagers, and you go back to square one. If you win it, you add the 12 unit profit to your bankroll and go back to the start of the 1-3-2-6 blackjack betting system, wagering one unit again.
Blackjack is slightly different from other casino games, as your winnings can vary if you land a blackjack, gain insurance, double down or split aces (or split any other card if you so desire). This can cause confusion for anyone following a blackjack betting strategy 1-3-2-6, but there are no official 1-3-2-6 blackjack betting system rules for extra winnings you might pocket during these instances.
Many people simply add the extra winnings to their bankroll and carry on. If you split aces and one hand wins, while the other hand loses, you have essentially broken even for the hand, so in that case you might decide to stay on the same number in the 1-3-2-6 blackjack betting system sequence.
