Roulette players who wish to structure their bets well instead of placing chips chaotically on the table often turn to betting systems such as 1-3-2-6 Casino Strategy. It is one of the simplest betting methods for arranging the stake size in various casino games like roulette, baccarat, blackjack, and craps.
Most casino players have probably used or at least heard of betting strategies such as the Martingale, the D’Alembert, or the Paroli. In fact, there are dozens of strategies, systems, and techniques employed by gamblers over the past decades and centuries with one major goal – to beat the casino and leave the table victorious. We all know a story or two about a casino player who, through a complicated strategy and cunning, managed to beat the casino in its own game and win a lot of money in the process.
Many gambling fans, including seasoned blackjack, roulette or baccarat players, wonder whether such successful casino systems exist or are they just a marketing trick for selling more books and guides on this subject. Professional players know well, however, that most betting systems do not work – at least not in the long run and that no strategy could actually change the casino edge that is engrained every casino game. What betting systems such as the 1-3-2-6 pattern can do, however, is to help gamblers optimize the value of their play and manage their bankroll in a better, smarter way.
How the 1-3-2-6 Strategy Works
The name of the strategy suggests it may include a complicated mathematical pattern but, in fact, it is a simple sequence of bets placed consecutively during short winning streaks. The 1-3-2-6 strategy is a positive betting progression and with it, players increase the size of their stakes only if they win. After a loss, on the other hand, they stop the betting session and go back at the beginning. If they manage to win four times in a row, they stop and start all over.
These are the basic rules the system is built on and they remain the same, regardless of the type of game we play. The other important thing to remember is that this strategy works with even-money bets. In roulette, these are black/red, even/odd, and high/low and although the chances that the ball would hit red or black are not perfectly even (48.65% probability in single-zero roulette), the payout is.
Before players can apply the 1-3-2-6 strategy, they need to determine their base stake, the one they plan on starting with. We will refer to it as “unit” and the 1-3-2-6 sequence, therefore, contains 1 unit, 3 units, 2 units, and 6 units. This initial stake could be any amount of money players find appropriate, depending on their individual bankroll and the specific table limits. The value of the unit should not exceed a few percentages of your bankroll – for instance, if your entire bankroll is $200, your basic betting unit should not be more than $10 (5%). Online casinos allow bets as low as $1 per spin, which would be suitable for players with little experience.
To start the 1-3-2-6 progression, players place a 1-unit wager on their preferred even-money bet and if it wins, they continue with a wager of 3 units. If the first bet loses, they cancel the progression and keep with flat bets until they win. Let’s see how the strategy works in the following example:
| Spin | Bet (In Units) | Outcome | Payout | Profit/Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Win | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 | Win | 6 | 4 |
| 3 | 2 | Win | 4 | 6 |
| 4 | 6 | Win | 12 | 12 |
| Total Bet Amount: 12 units | Total Payout: 24 units | Net Profit: 12 units |
The example makes it clear that if players follow all four steps of the progression, their net profit at the end of it will be exactly 12 units. In order for the sequence to be profitable, players need to win either all four consecutive bets or to lose one – after the second spin of the wheel, they have a profit of 4 units and even if they win the next 2-unit bet, they would still end with 2 units in gains. The fourth step represents a Double or Nothing situation where if the 6-unit bet wins, the net profit doubles to 12 units, while if it loses, it costs the winnings generated so far.
1-3-2-6 Roulette Strategy Gameplay
The Concept of the 1-3-2-6 Casino Strategy
Players who decide to apply the 1-3-2-6 system to roulette can place their chips on any of the even-money bet fields and keep wagering on the same sector throughout their gaming session. They can also change between red and black on each spin or opt for two reds, followed by two blacks. Contrary to popular belief, consistency is irrelevant here and the so-called Law of Averages does not apply – this is the erroneous belief that future events are likely to change in such a manner so that “they balance any past deviation from a presumed average”.
In roulette, the same number of reds and blacks is expected but only in the long run and such balance is possible only theoretically. The same can be said for winning and losing streaks and the idea that wins must follow consecutive losses. Interestingly, this is the main principle the 1-3-2-6 system and many other casino betting strategies are based on. In order to be successful, this system requires wins to occur in a row. The idea is that the ultimate profit of 12 units is enough to compensate for any previous losses. We can see this in the following example but let’s show the units in their monetary value, with 1 unit worth $5:
| Spin | Bet | Outcome | Payout | Profit/Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $5 | Win | $10 | $5 |
| 2 | $15 | Win | $30 | $20 |
| 3 | $10 | Lose | $0 | $10 |
| 4 | $5 | Lose | $0 | $5 |
| 5 | $5 | Lose | $0 | $0 |
| 6 | $5 | Lose | $0 | -$5 |
| 7 | $5 | Lose | $0 | -$10 |
| 8 | $5 | Win | $10 | -$5 |
| 9 | $15 | Win | $30 | $10 |
| 10 | $10 | Win | $20 | $20 |
| 11 | $30 | Win | $60 | $50 |
| Total Bet Amount: $110 | Total Payout: $160 | Net Profit: $50 |
As we can see, the system can successfully offset the losses caused by a streak of 5 losses and still generate more than decent winnings – 10 units in this case. Another essential thing to remember is that the 1-3-2-6 strategy limits the losses to only 2 units per session. This may occur only in the second step of the progression when we have won 1 unit and we are gambling 3 units. If this bet loses, we end up with 2 units in losses.
Risks to Consider when Using the 1-3-2-6 Strategy
Just like any other betting method, the 1-3-2-6 strategy has certain risks and may turn out to be quite detrimental in certain circumstances. The main risk is, of course, if you experience a longer losing streak. This system does not give you the opportunity to recover easily from larger losses, especially when we consider that four consecutive wins are not likely to occur frequently. And more importantly, you cannot predict when and whether they will occur at all.
The other obvious risk is that the system would gradually reduce the player’s bankroll in quickly alternating wins and losses. After several unsuccessful progressions, the net loss could be significant and practically impossible to recover from. In the example below, you can see how risky the 1-3-2-6 system could be:
| Spin | Bet | Outcome | Payout | Profit/Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $5 | Win | $10 | $5 |
| 2 | $15 | Lose | $0 | -$10 |
| 3 | $5 | Win | $10 | -$5 |
| 4 | $15 | Lose | $0 | -$20 |
| 5 | $5 | Lose | $0 | -$25 |
| 6 | $5 | Win | $10 | -$20 |
| 7 | $15 | Lose | $0 | -$35 |
| 8 | $5 | Lose | $0 | -$40 |
| 9 | $5 | Lose | $0 | -$45 |
| 10 | $5 | Lose | $0 | -$50 |
| 11 | $5 | Lose | $0 | -$55 |
| 12 | $5 | Lose | $0 | -$60 |
| 13 | $5 | Lose | $0 | -$65 |
| 14 | $5 | Win | $10 | -$60 |
| 15 | $15 | Win | $30 | -$45 |
| 16 | $10 | Win | $20 | -$35 |
| 17 | $30 | Win | $60 | -$5 |
| Total Bet Amount: $155 | Total Payout: $150 | Net Loss: $5 |
Advantages and Disadvantages
There are several good and bad things about the 1-3-2-6 betting system players need to take into consideration before they start using it for roulette or any other casino game. Obviously, the strategy is extremely simple and easy to learn, so even beginners can use it without the need to write down any sequences of numbers and keep track of wins and losses.
Another useful thing about this particular system is that with it, it is impossible to reach the maximum betting limit of the table. In contrast, there are strategies that are much more aggressive and applying them, you can increase the bet size so rapidly that you reach the table limit in just a few spins of the wheel. It is important to remember that the 1-3-2-6 system profits only with 2 or 4 winning streaks and while 4 wins in a row may not be very likely, 2 consecutive wins are certainly common.
The biggest advantage of this system, however, is that while being relatively safe and conservative, it can award players with up 12 times their initial stake. Moreover, this would happen only in four spins of the wheel. The strategy, however, requires ideal circumstances, i.e., a winning streak, which may not happen in over a hundred spins due to the randomness of the game.
Additional Advantages and DisadvantagesOf course, the system has one major disadvantage – that it does not have the potential to recover lost funds after a long losing streak. In fact, this is a weakness most betting systems share, along with the fact that none of them can turn the odds in players’ favor. No matter how good a system is, the casino will eventually win due to the built-in house advantage of 2.70% in European and 5.26% in American roulette.
Conclusion
Adopting the 1-3-2-6 casino strategy into one’s roulette routine could be profitable and entertaining. The simplicity of the system and its relative security make it ideal for less experienced players who would not be comfortable using a riskier system such as the classic Martingale. It is also quite a flexible strategy – you could always end up the progression after the third winning bet and never risk with a double or nothing.
If used correctly and with lower stakes, the system can generate good profits, especially if the player has a few winning streaks in a single session. It would not save you from losing streaks and from the house edge, however, so you should apply it carefully. While the potential winnings of 12 times the base stake are really appealing, the system is more likely to generate only 2-unit profits.