• Blackjack
• Nerd Nook

Testing Blackjack Betting Systems Until We Find the Best One

While blackjack betting systems all present ways to manage your wins and losses, they are a divisive topic, with some players swearing by one system over another. But there are many variables in blackjack, so we decided to put the most popular betting systems to the test under the same playing conditions to see how they affected our bankroll. 

We tracked the outcomes of each session, comparing wins, losses, and the level of risk involved. On this page, we will reveal the results and break them down.

What We Mean When We Say “Blackjack Betting System”

When we say blackjack betting system, what we’re referring to is a strategy for managing your bankroll. It doesn’t affect the odds or house edge, and it has no influence on the outcome of the next hand.

Blackjack betting systems change the size of your wagers according to a set of rules, usually in an attempt to recover losses or capitalize on a winning streak. Sometimes they produce a profit in the short term, and other times they put a serious dent in your bankroll. 

But is one system actually better than others? That’s what we wanted to find out. By using each system to play online blackjack and eliminating as many variables as possible, we aimed to see which one outperformed the rest.

How We Conducted This Test

To compare blackjack betting systems, we played 50 hands per system on the same six-deck blackjack game from Rival Gaming and followed a basic strategy chart for every decision. In the game, the dealer hit on soft 17, the payout was 3:2, and the table maximum was $200. The baseline bet was $1, only adjusting the wager when the betting system called for it, and we started each session with a $2,000 bankroll.

We recorded all of the wins, losses, pushes, and the ending profit, so we could compare how each system performed. 

The Betting Systems We’re Testing

Our prediction: Based on what we’ve experienced with the Martingale system before, we expect to lose quite a bit of money playing this way. However, the D’Alembert betting style stands out as a less risky way to rebuild losses since you increase your wagers slowly rather than doubling them. Hopefully, that will lead to a profit.

Betting System Comparisons

Here are the results of all six betting systems tested. Some performed close to our expectations, but there were also a few surprises.

Betting System	Win	Pushes/Ties	Losses	Profit
Martingale	19	4	27	-$414.50
Reverse Martingale	22	2	26	-$37.50
Fibonacci	22	1	27	-$16.5
D’Alembert	22	2	26	+$20
Oscar’s Grind	27	3	20	+$41.50
1-3-2-6	12	7	31	-$51.50

As expected, the Martingale system tanked my bankroll. A losing streak pushed my wager all the way to the $200 table maximum, and I lost that hand too, leaving me down $414.50. 

The Reverse Martingale and Fibonacci systems were less detrimental, but neither produced a profit. With the Fibonacci, I mostly flip flopped back and forth between the two 1 multipliers, so it didn’t seem to have much of an effect on my bankroll. 

The D’Alembert ultimately did result in a profit, but it also created some stress-inducing moments. A losing streak forced me to increase my bet hand after hand, and when my losses and wins started alternating, I stayed at those high wager amounts for longer than expected. 

Oscar’s Grind produced the most profit, at $41.50. When using the 1-3-2-6, I never hit a significant winning streak, so I didn’t get to see the sequence in true effect.

The Nerd Verdict: Oscar’s Grind Wins

Based on first-hand testing, the Oscar’s Grind betting system came out on top. It produced the largest profit of $41.50 and felt less risky than systems like the Martingale, although keeping track of each cycle’s profits can get tricky.

Also, since you increase your bet after each win, your wager amount can grow quite high if you hit a winning streak. That happened to me when I played, and then a losing streak followed, which meant I had to keep betting that large amount until a win. From there, I had to increase the wager again with every win until I could hit that one-unit profit. It worked out in the end, but I’d chalk that up more to how the cards fell during this session than the system itself.

Other Thoughts

If I wanted to avoid the mental math Oscar’s Grind requires, I would choose the D’Alembert system as a less strenuous alternative. 

That said, I would not rely on any betting system to make a profit. None of these systems changes the outcome of the cards or sways the odds in your favor, and many of them can put your bankroll at risk when a streak goes against you. The best advantage you can give yourself in blackjack is using basic strategy when playing.

Summary

Our 50-hand test showed that Oscar’s Grind produced the biggest profit, Martingale resulted in the biggest loss, and several systems became riskier as the wagers climbed.

 Oscar’s Grind was the top performer in this test, but remember that no betting system changes the house edge or guarantees the same results every time. If you want to compare more wagering strategies, explore our full guide to betting systems.