Online Casino Betting with the 1-3-2-6 Betting System

Today I want to talk to you about something with actual rhythm and reason. A method gamblers have used for decades. I like to call it The Four Step Waltz, though its formal name in betting circles is the 1-3-2-6 system.

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 live blackjack, roulette online, baccarat, and craps players.

Now, before you picture me waltzing through a casino in a tuxedo, let me assure you: this dance happens entirely with chips, not shoes. And while it won't guarantee riches (nothing in gambling truly does), it will help you move through wins and losses with more structure and a little less emotional whiplash. Think of it as a dance partner that keeps you balanced, even when the music speeds up.

How the 1-3-2-6 Betting System Works

The 1-3-2-6 system is what’s called a positive progression betting strategy, which is just a fancy way of saying that I increase my bets when I win and reset when I lose. It’s most commonly used in games with even-money bets like roulette (red or black), baccarat (player or banker), or blackjack (win or lose - none of those wild side bets).

The name “1-3-2-6” refers to the sequence of betting units I place after each win. I start with a unit, and if I win, my next bet is three units. Win again, and I drop to two. Win again, and I go up to six. After four successful rounds, I start the whole dance again from one.

It’s tidy, methodical, and, unlike most things at a casino, mercifully easy to remember.

“1-3-2-6” is a sequence that refers to betting units. You start with 1 unit, and progress through the sequence if you keep winning. If you lose or complete the sequence, you start over.

The 1-3-2-6 betting system tells you how much to wager on each hand, spin the wheel, or throw 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 strategy, 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. Pick an amount you are comfortable with losing in a worst-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.

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 on one unit again, but if you win, you keep progressing. That is why it is called a positive progression system, as you move forward when winning rather than increasing your stake after losing.

Your 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:

Why I Call It A Waltz

For me, the 1-3-2-6 system feels a bit like dancing to a four-beat song. There are four movements, and each one flows naturally into the next. I never stay too long on the floor, (unless it’s Wham playing on repeat or Ed, everybody loves Ed) and I never bet so wildly that I forget where my feet (or chips) are.

Here’s how the rhythm goes:

1. Step One: I start small. 1 unit. This is my gentle entry onto the dance floor.
2. Step Two:  If I win, I glide forward. 3 units. I’m starting to feel the rhythm. 
3. Step Three: Another win? I pull back slightly. 2 units. Controlled confidence. 
4. Step Four: Feeling the music now. 6 Units. This is my big finish.

If I win all four rounds, I'll have completed the waltz beautifully. If I lose at any point, I bow out gracefully and start again from one.

That’s it. Simple. Elegant. No TikTok choreography required. No tripping over my own feet.

The Mindset Behind the Method

When I first looked at the 1-3-2-6 pattern, it seemed almost random. Like someone had picked their favourite numbers out of a hat. But the logic quickly clicked.

This system is built on risk control and reward pacing. It’s designed to help me take advantage of short winning streaks (which pop up more often than most people realise in even-money games) while limiting the damage when luck inevitably turns against me.

In other words, I’m not doubling down into danger, I’m re-investing my winnings in a structured, limited way.

In practical terms: I’m only ever risking my profits, not chasing losses with money I can’t afford. It’s one of the few betting systems that actually feels almost … responsible.

Dancing Through The Bets - How I Actually Use The Four Step Waltz

When I first tried the 1-3-2-6 system, I was standing at a roulette table with that beginner’s optimism only slightly dulled by a few previous “ learning experiences”. I’d read about betting systems before, but they all sounded either too reckless or too complicated. Then I stumbled across this one, the neat, almost mathematical rhythm of one, three, two, six  - and I thought, “Alright, even I can count to six”.

So I took a breath, bought in for a modest amount, and began my little dance. Queue “Edelweiss” in the background.

Every sequence is a self-contained story. Win, lose, or break even, once it’s done, I reset and begin again. It’s like finishing a song before starting another.

A Quick Example

Let’s say I’m using $10 as my base bet. 

1. Step 1: Bet $10 - win - profit $10
2. Step 2: Bet $30 - win - profit $40 total
3. Step 3: Bet $20 - win - profit $60 total
4. Step 4: Bet $60 - win - profit $120 total

So, after four wins, I’ve turned $10 into $120 in that little sequence, not a fortune, but a very neat multiplication of the original stake. And if I lose anywhere along the line? The worst I’ve lost is a few small units, never the whole stack. That’s the quiet magic of the system.

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.

Where I Use The Four Step Waltz

One hand, three hands, two hands, six hands. Win or lose, reset. Doubling down or splitting? I treat those as little improvisations, not new dances.

Online blackjack fans who want to follow a simple positive progression strategy often adopt the 1-3-2-6 system. It works really well on a game of twenty one 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 play blackjack with the 1-3-2-6 betting system, you must first decide what your base unit will be. This should not change during the same session. 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 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 example. The final step 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 1-3-2-6 blackjack betting strategy. There are no official 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 sequence.

It should be said this is far from the only strategy you can employ in blackjack. The game has plenty. Our expert blackjack advice guide details a few more.

That includes red/black, 1-18/19-36, and odd/even. You would not use this system when betting on individual numbers, corners, columns, or dozens.

Roulette has a pretty low house edge, so the 1-3-2-6 system can work pretty well. The RTP is lower than that of free online blackjack, so your returns, in the long run, might not quite match those achieved in blackjack. But, you can give yourself the best possible chance of success by choosing the right type of roulette.

European roulette has just a single zero, giving the house an edge of 2.7%. American roulette has a zero and a double zero, which results in a larger house edge of 5.26%. It, therefore, makes sense to choose European roulette. Well, unless there is a clear reason for playing American roulette, such as a lucrative bonus. French Roulette has an even lower house edge because you get a 50% refund if the ball lands on zero.

You can begin your 1-3-2-6 routine by deciding how much you want to assign as a base unit. If it is $2, your first wager will be a $2 bet on either red/black, high/low, or odd/even. If that wins, you would bet $6 for your second spin. If you win again, bet $4 on the third spin of the wheel, and then bet $12 if that wins. When you complete the 1-3-2-6 sequence, return to the beginning and go again. If you lose, return to the beginning and start again.

The general idea of the 1-3-2-6 roulette betting strategy is that you place the same wager each time. You would, therefore, bet red each time, or 19-36 each time. However, there is nothing to stop you from mixing it up each time – betting on, for instance, red, then black, then red, then odd, then 1-18, then red again – as the chances of each one landing remain close to 50/50.

If none of this is clicking, head for this roulette guide for new players. It's better to know the game inside and out before you try a betting system.

It is, therefore, advisable to avoid using it for tie bets. A banker bet should carry an RTP of 98.94%, while a player bet has an RTP of 98.76%. Both suitable for the 1-3-2-6 baccarat strategy.

By now you know that each number in the 1-3-2-6 sequence refers to the number of base units you will wager per hand. If your base unit is $100, you will start off by betting $100. If that wins, you move on to the next number in sequence, which is 3. So your next wager is $300. 
If you lose, you go back to the start of the sequence.

But let’s pretend you win. Then you keep on going and your third bet would be for $200 in this example. Your fourth would be $600. If you win four in a row, you will be $1,200 up. One advantage of the 1-3-2-6 baccarat strategy is that you then pocket your winnings and start again, thus protecting profits. If you were following a reverse Martingale strategy instead of a 1-3-2-6 baccarat strategy, you would keep doubling your stake after each win, and it would take just one loss to wipe out all of your profits.

Remember that many top live casinos online offer lucrative bonuses. This can really cut down the house edge. So make sure you claim all the relevant bonuses before embarking upon your 1-3-2-6 baccarat strategy.

All being said, you should get very familiar with baccarat rules and payouts before going all in on a betting system.
 

In that sense, understanding craps odds is really important before you try any of this.

The even chance bets at your disposal when playing craps are pass, don’t pass, come, don’t come, Big 6 and Big 8. The house edge on these bets ranges from 0.4% to 0.46%, which is low, so they are well suited to the 1-3-2-6 craps strategy.

Your first task is to choose your base unit for your craps session. Many craps players create a bankroll and then assign a portion of it as a base unit. One advantage of the 1-3-2-6 craps strategy is that you do not need a particularly large bankroll, as you do not aggressively chase losses like the Fibonacci system or the Martingale betting system.

If your unit is $20, you will make that your initial wager. You increase the wager to three units ($60) if your first bet wins, otherwise bet one unit again if it loses. If your base unit is $20, a run of four straight wins would be worth $240 in profit.

If you complete the 1-3-2-6 craps strategy chain, you start again at one unit. Whenever you lose, go back to the start. This means you will only suffer small losses. The most you can ever lose is six units, but that would only ever occur after you had just won six units. So this strategy is reasonably cautious and allows you to stay at the table for a considerable period of time.

After years of experimenting, I’ve realised that betting systems are less about gambling and more about self-control. The Four Step Waltz doesn’t make me rich, it keeps me disciplined and that’s the secret.

It stops me from doing the gambler’s equivalent of texting my ex: chasing losses, over-betting, believing I can “win it back”. It reminds me that betting should be fun, not frantic.

When I walk away after a session, whether I’m up or down, I know exactly where I stand, and that for me is victory enough.

So, no, this isn't some improvised street dance. This is the Four Step Waltz: a little structure, a little rhythm, and a dash of self-awareness.

If you follow the beat, calmly, deliberately and with a sense of humour, you might just find yourself winning a few more steps than you lose. And if not, at least you’ll look good doing it.

More Betting Systems To Explore

If you enjoyed this system, you might also like the ones below: