Blackjack Positive Progressive Betting Strategy

  • There are many betting strategies that players use when playing Blackjack
  • Martingale, 1-3-2-6, and Oscars Blackjack betting strategies are the most popular ones
  • In this article, we look at the most famous one to see if they work or not

Want to play blackjack like a pro? First, you need to know the rules, understand Blackjack odds, and use basic strategy.

Then, knowing how to sound cards own't hurt either.

And that's not always enough.

You wouldn’t want to run out of money before you get even close to a lucky streak, would you?

Blackjack Progressive Betting Strategy

So, like with any other Casino game, you also need to know how to manage your bankroll.

Positive systems, which have you increasing your bet after you win; Negative systems, whereby you decrease your bet after a loss; Progressive Betting for Blackjack Strategy. Progressive betting is popular with blackjack, but it must be undertaken with care and you need to budget accordingly. Theoretically, the best way to gamble when playing.

And that’s where Blackjack betting systems come into play.

Blackjack betting systems are used to avoid heated betting decisions at the table by following a system that dictates how to bet each time.
  • Player 3: This player uses a popular strategy found in the book 21st Century Blackjack by Walter Thomason. Without going into details, this is basically a 2-3-4-5 positive progression, reset on shuffle, stop after four consecutive losses.
  • Positive Progressions The ultimate betting strategy is to bet more when you are winning and less when you are losing. This is easier said than done because you never know when a streak occurs until it ends. A simple way to bet more when you are winning is to slowly progress your bets after a win and decrease your bet to the minimum when you lose.

Types of Blackjack Betting Strategies

Most Blackjack betting strategies are progressive betting systems.

Progressive systems involve increasing or decreasing the amount of your bet, depending on the outcome of the previous hand.

They fall into two categories:

  • Positive progression – betting more after you win a bet. Aimed to maximize profits during winning streaks and limit losses when things run cold.
  • Negative progression – increasing the amount you bet after a loss of a bet. Aimed at recouping losses and winning small amounts of profit very often.

You’ve probably heard about Martingale Blackjack betting system. It’s one of the most famous betting systems used not only in Blackjack but also Roulette and Craps.

And is a perfect example of a negative progression betting system.

You can check the detailed analysis of the Martingale system on this page.

Contrary to popular belief, Martingale is not the only betting strategy you can use for Blackjack.

What other Blackjack betting strategies are there? Let’s take a look.

Looking to test your strategy already?

Give this top online casino a shot and test your blackjack strategy. Welcome bonus applies!

1-3-2-6 Blackjack Betting Strategy

Although the name of this system makes it seem complicated, it is actually very simple:

Bets are placed in line with the sequence of 1,3,2 & 6 after a winning bet.

You only trigger the sequence after you win a bet. It ends when you lose a bet.

Progressive

How does it work?

Below are some examples considering a unit bet of $10

  • If you lose 4 bets in a row, all your bets would have been $10. Without a winning bet to trigger the sequence, the bet size stays the same.
  • If you win 4 bets in a row your bet sizes would be $10, $30, $20 & $60. The sequence is triggered by winning a bet and continues because there is no losing bet. The sequence ends after you win 4 bets in a row. If you win 5 bets in a row your 5th bet would go back down to $10.
  • If you win the first 2 bets but lose the 3rd bet, your bet sizes are $10, $30, $20 & $10. The betting system is triggered because you have a winning bet and continues until you have a losing bet. Since the 3rd bet was lost, you would drop back down to the $10 bet and start again.

Mixing up your bet sizes in this way reduces the risk of blowing out and betting everything you have on one hand.

It provides some structure to your play so that you can enjoy the game as much as possible.

The four-step progression adds some excitement to the game. And it reduces the monogamy of betting the same amount every time.

Keep in mind, though:
This Blackjack betting system will not give you an edge over the house. The house edge remains the same regardless of what amount you are betting. No betting strategy can affect it.

Oscars Blackjack Betting Strategy

Oscars Grind betting system is a progressive betting strategy that revolves around the concept of neutralizing losing streaks and always winning one unit of profit per progression.

The system was originally developed around 1965. Back then it aimed to manage small and consistent profits at the game of Craps.

No matter what game you play, the goal of the Oscars betting strategy is to make one unit of profit for each sequence.

Once you win 1 unit, then the whole progression resets and you start again. So, if you win the first bet, the next bet remains the same as the general aim has been achieved.

If you lose your first bet, then the next bet is also 1 unit.

The difference now is that you are down 1 unit. So, the progression system should begin so you can recoup that loss and generate the 1 unit of profit.

If your second bet wins, the next bet is doubled. Each successive winning hand continues to double in stakes until the aim of winning 1 unit is reached.

Once that occurs the progression is reset again, and we begin from scratch.

Blackjack positive progressive betting strategy tactics

You need to think of bets in terms of units and not an amount. Select the unit size you want to use and then you can follow the below rules:

  • When you lose a bet, your next bet will be down to 1 unit.
  • When you win a bet, your next bet needs to be 1 unit higher
  • STOP the moment you have a profit of 1 unit on the sequence. The next bet will be 1 unit and you start the process again.

Below are some examples:

Blackjack Positive Progressive Betting Strategy Strategies

Bet SizeResultRunning Profit
1 UnitLoss-1
1 UnitLoss-2
1 UnitLoss-3
1 UnitLoss-4
1 UnitWin-3
2 UnitsWin-1
2 UnitsWin1
STOP

How to read the table:

You see, while you’re losing, you keep the bet at the minimum unit size while accumulating losses.

Once you win a bet - the progression begins.

That’s when you embark on a mission to recoup the losses and have a profit of 1 unit.

If you’re still with me, you may wonder -

Why on the last bet the wager is 2 units and not 3?

That’s because your aim is to profit for exactly 1 unit, remember?

At this stage of the sequence, you were losing 1 unit, thus a bet size of 2 units would result in 1 unit of profit.

So, even though you won the previous bet, you don’t need to increase your bet size. You’ve already achieved your goal.

Bet SizeResultRunning Profit
1 UnitWin1
2 UnitsWin3
3 UnitsWin6
4 UnitsWin10
5 UnitsWin15
6 UnitsWin21
7 UnitsLoss14
STOP

This example shows what can happen when you hit a hot streak.

As long as there are no recorded losses in the sequence, you can continue to add a unit to your bet size as you keep winning.

The idea is to ride the wave until it stops.

It gives you the greatest opportunity to capitalize on a good run. While still locking in some of your profits along the way.

Blackjack Positive Progressive Betting Strategy Against

This Blackjack betting system requires a lot of patience.

Image playing Blackjack at brick-and-mortar Casinos. Action can sometimes be already slow at full tables. So, using strategy wouldn't really bring you any significant wins any time soon.

But the point of the Oscars betting system is not to make you rich every time you visit Las Vegas Casinos.

It does help to maximize profits when a good run of hands presents itself.

Stringing together 6 or 7 straight winning hands at the Blackjack table will result in a significant win.

That also makes this betting system popular with Blackjack players who count cards.

When they see that they have a significant advantage in certain situations, betting higher has a positive expected value.

Blackjack Positive Progressive Betting Strategy Tactics

Summary

If you want to improve your chances to win at Blackjack, you need to know the rules and the basic strategy. If you can handle counting cards - even better.

Blackjack systems and betting strategies won’t improve your odds at winning real money. But they can help you to manage your bankroll better.

Disclaimer: Gambling is a game of chance and there's no sure-fire formula that guarantee winnings. You can improve your winning chances by using the right in-game strategies but there is no way to predict when a machine or a Casino game is going to pay. Also, this page contains affiliate links. If you click through and play, we might earn a commission. That’s what allow us to keep CasinoSmash free and bring you the best online Casino bonuses!

Bonus info: Terms and conditions apply to the offer. If something isn't clear, have a look at our review of PlayAmo for the T&Cs in full. The offer on this article might have expired by the time you read it. Please refer to the review pages for the latest bonuses and promotions available.

Progressive betting in blackjack, or any other casino game, is one of the most sure ways to lose all of your money. The betting strategy is simple, and that’s what often attracts people to it. You just keep doubling your bet every time you lose until you finally win a hand. After all, even on a terrible losing streak you’ll win a hand eventually, right? Well, in theory this sounds logical, but in reality progressive betting systems will lead to huge losses over time.

I am going to show you an example below on why they don’t work whether you are playing at a local casino or online against a live blackjack dealer.

Progressive Betting Systems – Why Don’t They Work?

Contents

There are several pitfalls that you will eventually hit if you’re using a strategy based on progressive betting. First of all, at some point you might run out of money and not be able to afford doubling your bet after a loss. Here’s how things will look if you lose 7 hands in a row starting at $25…

Bet #1: $25 (total loss = $25)
Bet #2: $50 (total loss = $75)
Bet #3: $100 (total loss = $175)
Bet #4: $200 (total loss = $375)
Bet #5: $400 (total loss = $775)
Bet #6: $800 (total loss = $1,575)
Bet #7: $1,600 (total loss = $3,175)
.

Problem A

Blackjack Positive Progressive Betting Strategy

At this point you’re down $3,175 and you now need to bet $3,200. Can you afford that? How about if you lose an 8th hand in a row… Can you afford to be down $6,375 and then bet another $6,400? Even if you think you can afford it, when you finally win a hand you will be up a whopping $25 for all your work and emotional stress. Will you lose 7 or 8 hands in a row? Maybe not in the first hour of play, but there is no question that at some point you will lose more than 8 hands in a row no matter how good of a player you are.

Problem B

Looking at the above example, you can probably guess what the next problem with progressive betting is. Even if you have an unlimited bankroll, at some point you will hit the table maximum bet and will not be allowed to raise your bet further. Most Indian casinos will usually have a $500 or $1,000 table maximum. Many high limit rooms in Las Vegas only go up to $5,000. Even the high end properties in Vegas such as Wynn, Bellagio and Aria will only go up to $10,000 on their blackjack tables.

Problem C

Other factors involved in blackjack progressive betting are the player options of doubling and splitting. If you ignore these options the house edge against you will increase. If you use these options, as you should, you could end up with 2X or 3X your bet on the table. I’ve had pairs split into four separate hands and have needed to double all four of them. That meant I had 8X my original bet on the table. If the dealer busts and I win, that’s great, but if the dealer pulls a 21 and I lose all of my hands, that’s a tough pill to swallow. Now imagine you’re about five losses deep (down $775 and betting $800) into your progressive betting system and you’re dealt 8,8. The dealer shows a 6, so you split. Another 8 comes to you, so you split again. Now you get two face cards and a 3 to match your 8s. You stand on your 18s and double the 8,3. You get a low card on your double and the dealer turns the 6 into an easy 19. After all, a a dealer’s 6 only busts about 42% of the time. In this scenario you lose $800 X 4… That’s $3,200 in one shot! Now you’re down $3,200 + $775 and need to bet $4,000 just to make that original $25 in profit. Lose another hand and you’re at the table max without an opportunity to recoup your losses. It’s over and you only lost six hands in a row. Ouch!

The shortcomings of progressive betting apply to all casino games. Roulette, craps, baccarat, sportsbetting… you name it, progressive betting will guarantee you lose at it. Not even card counting is able to avoid the ultimate collapse of such a flawed system. You might win for a day or two and gain false confidence, but when the reality of progressive betting hits you it gets ugly quick. With one losing streak you will lose what you gained over the previous sessions and more!

Learn from the Mistakes of Others

The bottom line – DO NOT USE A PROGRESSIVE BETTING SYSTEM! Many uneducated gamblers will try to mask the fact that their progressive betting system loses by adding little twists and tweaks. It has been proven over and over again that you will still lose if your strategy is based on a progression. Don’t sell yourself short, learn something useful that actually works and holds a long-run advantage. Take the time to learn about blackjack and card counting (not just counting +1 and -1, but everything that goes into being successful at counting cards), and you’ll maintain a long term advantage over the casinos.