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.