The 1-3-2-6 Betting System
The 1-3-2-6 betting system is very similar to the Paroli system in that it increases your bets as you win, and then starts over at a certain point to lock in all your wins. The idea behind the 1-3-2-6 system is that you can turn a small investment into a larger one if you win your bet several times in a row. If you lose a bet at any point, your overall losses are smaller because the bets are sized to lock in wins and minimize losses.
This system is usually used in even money gambling games like blackjack, craps or roulette. You use the system by setting the size of 1 unit. For example, if you start out with 1 unit equal to $10, a successful round of betting would look like this:
- Bet $10 on black at the roulette wheel
- If that bet wins, you leave that money on the table ($20) and add another unit ($10) for a total of 3 units ($30) and bet again on black (or red).
- If that bet wins you now have $60. Next you take $40 off the table to lock in your profit and make your next bet be $20.
- If that bet wins, you'll have $40 at the table. That $40 represents 4 units so you add 2 more units ($20) for a total bet of $60.
- If that bet wins, you'll have won $120 and can take the money off the table and start over again at step one.
As you can see, it's possible to turn $10 into $120 after just four wins. The cool thing about the system is that if your bet loses at any point, the losses are pretty small all things considered. Here's what the results would be if any of the above bets lose at any point:
(Still using $10 = 1 unit)
- You would lose $10.
- Even though you're betting $30 on this level, you'd only be down $20 if this bet loses. This is because you left your money on the table last time and only added $10 out of pocket.
- If you make it to this point, you'll have $60 on the table. But you take $40 off the table and only wager 2 units. If this bet loses, you'll still be up $20 overall.
- This is the biggest bet in the system but if it loses, you'll break even overall. You're betting $60 at this level but have already locked in enough profit to break even.
The worst level to lose at is the 2nd level because you haven't yet locked in any of your profits. A loss at the 2nd level with $10 units would be a return of negative $20. The good news is that you can lose at the 2nd level 6 times but make up for it all with just one successful round of betting.
One important thing you should remember, though, is that no betting system (including this one) can guarantee you to win at a casino game. The odds of the game are stacked against you no matter how you size your bets.
If you're just in to have fun, this betting system is perfectly fine. It won't change your odds of winning (nothing does) but it does make your time more interesting and helps reduce variance. The 1-3-2-6 also keeps you playing on the casino's money for your big bets.