The 1 3 2 4 Betting System: A Simple Strategy for Success

Betting systems are rife these days and to be fair, they can be used as extra tools in a bettor's strategy.

Some are said to optimise wins and reduce losses although the Jury is still out on that!  That said, there’s no harm in looking into different types of bets.

One such system is the 1-3-2-4 betting system. This system provides bettors with a structured approach that is quite easy to implement.

It’s based on following a sequence and placing Unit bets on markets that provide even money bets or as close to 50/50 as possible.

This includes games such as blackjack and roulette.

During this 1 3 2 4 betting system guide, we’ll look at what it is, how it works and provide helpful tips to consider when using the system.

What Is The 1-3-2-4 Betting System?

The 1 3 2 4 betting system is a derivative of the 1 3 2 6 betting system. Both of these systems are popular with casino games and use unit betting.  It’is also known as a positive progressive betting system like the Fibonacci, Labouchere, and Paroli betting systems.

Anyway, we digress so back to the point in question. What is the 1-3-2-4 betting system?  

Before we get into the system sequence, as mentioned, this a unit betting system so you need to decide what unit bet size you want to use.  This decision will very much be based on the size of your bankroll.  

As a rough guide, it’s suggested you use no higher than 3% of your total bankroll. So, if you had a bankroll of £1000 to play with and opted for 1% as a starter, one unit would be £10.

As you may have noticed, the betting sequence for this system is 1, 3, 2, 4.  Therefore, your first bet would be one unit which is £10. If your next three bets won, you would be betting £30 (3 units), £20 (2 units) and then £40 (4 units).  

If you reach the fourth step in the sequence, you just start over again at the beginning (1 unit).  Now, the rule of thumb says that’s not going to happen too often so what happens if a bet loses?  You just start the sequence again with a 1 unit bet.

As mentioned, the 1-3-2-4 betting system was created for bets that offer even odds or as close as possible.  That’s the main reason why it’s traditionally been played on the following types of casino games:

• Blackjack: Either you or the dealer win
• Roulette: Red / Black; Odd / Even; High / Low
• Baccarat: Banker or Player

Whilst the 1-3-2-4 betting system tends to focus on the casino side of things, it’s being used in sports betting more recently.

How Does The 1 3 2 4 Betting System Work?

As you’re aware, the 1-3-2-4 betting system is based on unit bets and following a pre-set sequence. Let’s walk through the steps to follow:

Step 1: Set a Unit Bet

Always make sure you choose a unit size that is appropriate for your bankroll and start low whilst you get used to the system:

• With a bankroll of £500 and you decided to use a unit stake of 1%, your sequence would be £5 (1 unit), £15 (3 units), £10 (2 units) and £20 (4 units). Of course, this is the sequence if all four bets win.

Step 2: Following the Betting Sequence

If you were to hit a lucky streak, you would make your way through the sequence as follows:

• Bet One: Bet 1 unit. A win sees you move on to bet two.
• Bet Two: Bet 3 units. A win sees you move on to bet three.
• Bet Three: Bet 2 Units. A win sees you move on to bet four.
• Bet Four: Bet 4 Units. A win completes the 1-3-2-4 sequence. 

Step 3: Completion of the 1-3-2-4 Betting Sequence

One way or another, the sequence has to end.  After all, nobody can win all of their bets:

• If any of your bets lose, you start the betting sequence again, no matter what stage of the system you are at.
• If you’re lucky and manage to win all four stages of the 1-3-2-4 betting system, you end the sequence and begin from the start again at betting 1 unit.  

The 1-3-2-4 Betting System In Action

Still using a Unit bet of £5, what would a winning streak look like?

1. Bet £5 - Win £5 (£10 returns) 
2. Bet £15 - Win £15 (£30 returns) 
3. Bet £10 - Win £10 (£20 returns) 
4. Bet £20 - Win £20 (£40 returns)

Obviously, you can’t rely on continued winning streaks as you’ll lose at some point.  However, the above four bets would see you make a £50 profit.

Of course, bettors also have losing streaks too.  The 1-3-2-4 betting system is structured in such a way that tries to keep losses low. So, what would a bad run look like?

1. Bet £5 - Lose £5 
2. Bet £5 - Lose £5 
3. Bet £5 - Lose £5 
4. Bet £5 - Lose £5

Instead of being £50 in profit, the above losing streak will see you £20 out of pocket.  That’s not a huge hit on your bankroll but the higher your unit stake, the bigger the potential losses.

As you can see, this type of betting system is pretty conservative and isn’t a get rich quick scheme. In theory, it should make small, regular profits but nobody can guarantee results.

To try and put some perspective on this, let’s look at a more realistic set of bet outcomes and ramp the units up a bit. For this example, let’s use a Unit bet of £20:

So, with half of your bets winning, you make a £40 profit.  Not a particularly massive profit considering your units were £20 each.

Had you encountered a really bad run of eight losses, you would be £160 out of pocket.  

No matter what size unit stakes you use, always make sure you bankroll can support any losses.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of The 1-3-2-4 Betting System

The 1-3-2-4 betting system is a positive progression type of betting system where players' bets sizes increase and decrease according to the sequence.  The logic is that the system can help you build up wins whilst protecting your bankroll and mitigating risk.

However, this is not a given because anybody can suffer long streaks of losses.  So, let’s look at some of the benefits and drawbacks to the 1-3-2-4 betting system:

Advantages

• Simplicity: The structure of the 1-3-2-4 betting system is straight-forward and is an easy sequence to follow.
• Stake Choice: You can set your stake to whatever amount suits your bankroll and attitude to risk.
• Mitigated Losses: The structure of the system is designed to keep losses to an affordable minimum. Don’t forget though, you might hit a bad run of results.
• Structure Driven: Using the 1-3-2-4 betting system should keep you on track and prevent any emotional bets thanks to the structure in place. 
• Disciplined: The maximum number of bets in the sequence is four so this prevents bettors from getting carried away if their luck is in.
• Steady Profits: The objective of the 1-3-2-4 betting system is to make small but regular profits.
• Bankroll Stability: As long as you use an affordable Unit bet, https://outplayed.com/blog/unit-betting-system this system should stop your bankroll being wiped out.

Disadvantages

• Conservative Betting System: This system is even more cautious than the 1-3-2-6 betting system. It means you’re very unlikely to win big.
• House Edge: The bookies will have the edge over you with most of the games you play and there’s very little manoeuvrability to swing that in your favour. 
• Restricted Markets: As the system is based on 50/50 (even money) bets, it can’t be used on a large amount of betting markets or sports betting.
• Set Sequence: There is no flexibility with the 1-3-2-4 betting system. It has a rigid structure that has to be adhered to. Deviating from it will undermine the objective of the system.
• Loss Recovery Slow: The system is great when you hit winning streaks. However, if you go on a long losing run, it can run your bankroll down and take some time to recover the lost funds.
• Low Profits: Because there’s only 4 steps in the sequence, if you hit step four, you revert back to one unit. This can impact winnings when you’re on a good run.

Pointers For Using The 1-3-2-4 Betting System

Pick the Right Markets: Try to find casino games or sports bets that offer even money odds. This helps to balance the risk and reward balance. 

Choose a Bankroll Limit:  Work out how much you’re prepared to lose before beginning. Assume the worst and then you won’t stray from your affordability.  Part of this process is choosing a unit size to match your attitude to risk. Consider setting your unit stake as  one to two percent of your total bankroll. 

Start Slowly:  Whilst you’re getting used to the 1-3-2-4 betting system, keep your stakes low.  You can easily raise them once you are comfortable. 

Remain Disciplined: Stick to the betting sequence and revert back to one unit of each loss or if you complete the whole sequence. DO NOT stray from the system sequence.

Expect Variance: Losses are bound to happen and winning is never a sure thing.  The 1-3-2-4 betting system is a strategy for managing your bets, not a guaranteed way to win. 

Don’t Mix Your Bets Up: If you start the sequence with say, Roulette, stick to Roulette for the entirety of the sequence.  Don’t switch to other casino games or sports mid-way through the sequence.

More Bookies is Better:  Open a few bookie accounts so you have more options.  If you have a few accounts, you’re more likely to find the right odds for the market you want to bet on. 

Take Advantage of Offers:  Bookmakers often give customers bonuses and offers, especially when they are a new customer.  Shop around to see if you can take advantage of any boosts, sports offers or casino bonuses.

Can You Use The 1-3-2-4 Betting System On Anything?

In theory, yes you can. However, the system was originally created to be used on casino games due to the close odds on some of the games.  The ideal odds for this system are evens but sometimes you might need to take as close as you can.  An example of this is roulette because it has a green zero pocket.

Roulette

• Perfect for betting on high or low, odds or even or red or black.
• As an example, place £10 on odd numbers and carry on through the sequence if you win.

Craps

• Good for Pass / Don’t Pass bets.
• Avoid doing Proposition Bets as they increase your risk.

Horse Racing

• This is the one sport where you might struggle to find a lot of even money bets in.  Horse racing betting markets odds are usually higher than 2.0 (evens) so it’s more suited to Matched Betting.
• The lack of frequent even odds horses means it would be difficult to follow the 1-3-2-4 betting system.

Football

• Thanks to the amount of football matches being played, you stand a good chance of finding even money bets. However, this might not be on a given team to win markets.
• Consider looking at other markets such as Shots on Target, Over/Under or First Goalscorer bets. 

Similar Systems To The 1-3-2-4 Betting System

The 1-3-2-4 betting system is a progressive betting system.  There are other types of similar betting systems with different sequences to them.  None of them guarantee success so it’s worth reading up on them to see which, if any, suit you.

The 1-3-2-6 Betting System

You might have guessed that the 1-3-2-6 betting system is almost identical to the 1-3-2-4 betting system.  In fact, the only difference is the last number in the betting sequence. Because you’re betting 6 units instead of 4, the profit potential is better.  However, the potential losses on the last stage could be more.

The Paroli Betting System

Again, you’re looking for even money bets with the Paroli betting system. However, this system dictates that you double your unit bet each time you win and if you lose, you go back to the original stake. 

The Fibonacci Betting System

The Fibonacci betting system is a little more complicated than the other systems we have looked at. Again, it’s based a betting sequence but this time the sequence of numbers increase where each new number is the total of the two numbers before it. 

So the first 10 numbers in the sequence would be 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34 and 55. Each time you win a bet you move two numbers to the left.  Each time you lose, you move one number to the right. 

Due to the complexity of this system, we recommend you read the Fibonacci Betting System article.

The Martingale Betting System

This is quite the opposite to the Paroli betting system as you double your unit bet after a loss and revert back to the original unit size when your bet wins.

You may need a substantial bankroll to use the Martingale betting system. A Bad run could see you placing substantial bets as there is no cap on the betting sequence.

Is The 1-3-2-4 Betting System Suited To You?

There is no correct answer to this because it really does depend on an individual's risk tolerance and available bankroll.  Here’s some things to consider before you start though:

Suits Recreational Gamblers: This system suits casual gamblers because of its simplicity and lower risk levels.

Suited to 50/50 Bets: If you’re partial to casino games, this system could be for you.  Of course, it can also be used in some sports betting markets.

Not Suitable for Those After Big Profits:  Because this system is a very conservative and capped system, you are not going to hit the jackpot anytime soon with it.

Summary

The 1-3-2-4 betting system is straight-forward and cautious betting system that requires you to place bets on even money markets.  It relies on you making the most of winning runs and keeping losses to a minimum.

Because it’s a structured betting system, it can appeal more to novice gamblers but can also be a useful addition to anyone’s betting armoury. 

There’s no golden guarantee with using systems like this though.  The only way you can guarantee profits is to consider taking advantage of strategies that involve Value Betting and Matched Betting.