In the world of casino games, betting strategies and systems are becoming increasingly popular throughout the industry, as creating value and making the most of bet returns are employed frequently. Whilst casual punters still enjoy playing games for fun, players who use betting strategies are looking to create a profit, and this is what the 1-3-2-4 system aims to do.
Here at OddsMonkey, we are going to explain what this betting system is, how it works throughout online casino games and sports betting, and the advantages and disadvantages of the technique.
The 1-3-2-4 Betting System Explained
The 1-3-2-4 betting system is a variation of the 1-3-2-6 betting system, both of which are popular with casino games and utilise unit betting. Similar to other progressive betting systems, such as Fibonacci and Paroli, they rely on creating units and following sequences.
We are going to look at a step-by-step guide on how this betting system works, ensuring users can follow it if they want to try out this unique strategy:
1.Set A Unit Bet
Ensure that your chosen unit size is suitable for your bankroll, and start with lower bet stakes while you get accustomed to the system. Let’s say you had a bankroll of £500. We recommend you do not use a stake higher than 3%, so let’s stick to 1%.
- With a 1% unit size, the first unit would be £5, the next would be £15, the next £10, and the last one would be 4 units, totalling £20. Of course, this is the sequence if all four bets are successful.
2.Following the Betting Sequence
This sequence is only to be followed as bets trigger returns, and if you lose one of the bets, then the process cannot continue from the last bet.
- Bet 1 – 1 unit
- Bet 2 – 3 units
- Bet 3 – 2 units
- Bet 4 – 4 units
3.Completion of the 1-3-2-4 Betting Sequence
The betting sequence cannot carry on forever, and if your bet loses, then you can start the betting sequence again if you wish to place more bets. If you manage to correctly back all four stages, then you must start back from bet 1 if you wish to use the strategy again.
How The 1-3-2-4 Betting System Works
This betting system relies on units, meaning you must decide how much you are willing to use for each unit, but a total of 10 units can be used across the strategy, so we recommend keeping the units low in value.
The 1-3-2-4 betting system was designed for bets that offer even odds or as close as possible to even, which is why they are traditionally played on casino games such as:
| Blackjack | Either you or the dealer wins |
| Roulette | Red/Black, Odd/Even |
| Baccarat | Banker or Player |
With the focus being placed on online casino games, it can also be applied to sports betting. If you want to learn more about sports betting, check out our football betting guide and our horse racing guide.
As already mentioned, the strategy is meant to be used as long as the stake before it is successful. This means that if the first bet is a success, you carry on to the second bet; if the first bet loses, you must start again from the first bet.
Example of the 1-3-2-4 Betting System
By using the example of £5, let’s have a look at what the bets and returns look like if all of the bets are successful:
- Bet £5 – £10 Return = £5 Profit
- Bet £15 – £30 Return = £15 Profit
- Bet £10 – £20 Return = £10 Profit
- Bet £20 – £40 Return = £20 Profit
Whilst losing bets is very possible throughout this strategy, if all of your bets trigger returns whilst using this bet unit amount, then you will see a profit of £50 in total.
Now, let’s look at what would happen if you have a losing streak, and this system is designed to restart when it fails:
- Bet £5 – Lose £5
- Bet £5 – Lose £5
- Bet £5 – Lose £5
- Bet £5 – Lose £5
Instead of being £50 in profit, this losing streak would leave you with a loss of £20. It is not a huge hit on the bankroll of £500, but the higher you stake, the higher the potential loss can be.
This betting strategy is known to be quite conservative, as it is designed to offer small, regular profits. However, as this involves betting, there is no guarantee that this strategy will yield a profit at all.
If we use the unit of £10 instead, let’s look at how the strategy might look in a different set of bet outcomes:
| Bet | Unit/Stake | Result | Balance |
| Bet 1 | 1 Unit / £10 | Lost | – £10 |
| Bet 2 | 1 Unit / £10 | Won | £0 |
| Bet 3 | 3 Units / £30 | Won | £30 |
| Bet 4 | 2 Units / £20 | Lost | £10 |
| Bet 5 | 1 Unit / £10 | Lost | £0 |
| Bet 6 | 1 Unit / £10 | Won | £10 |
| Bet 7 | 3 Units / £30 | Won | £40 |
| Bet 8 | 2 Units / £20 | Lost | £20 |
As the odds for this strategy are meant to be as close to ‘even’ as possible, we can hope to have half of the bets come in and avoid a loss. Whilst the profit is not huge, it is still a small profit margin. If you were unlucky and encountered 8 losses in a row, you would be £80 in the red.
Regardless of the stake size, ensure that your bankroll can support both the system and the unit size.
What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of the 1-3-2-4 Betting System?
The 1-3-2-4 betting system aims to create a slight profit through positive progression, where the player’s bet sizes increase and decrease according to the sequence. However, this is not a given, as anyone can incur streaks of losses. Let’s have a look at some of the positives and negatives.
Advantages:
✅Simplicity: The structure of this strategy is incredibly simple and straightforward, making it easy to follow.
✅Mitigated Losses: Whilst there is the possibility of losing streaks, the structure of the system is designed to keep losses to an affordable minimum.
✅Stake Choice: Players are not restricted to one stake choice, and they can choose a betting stake which suits their bankroll
✅Steady Profits: The objective is to make small but regular profits, instead of greater highs and lows.
Disadvantages:
❌Restricted Betting Markets: As the system is based on 50/50 bets, it is not used on a wide range of events, and it may be harder to find appropriate odds in sports betting markets.
❌Low Profits: With only 4 steps in the sequence, there are not many ways to be awarded a huge profit quickly. With the strategy reverting to a single unit, this can impact the value of returns when on a streak.
❌Loss Recovery Slow: Great when used in successful streaks, but if you have a losing streak, the recovery from this can take a long time.
❌House Edge: Whilst the aim is to find 50/50 bets, there is a house edge, meaning that the bookies have a slight advantage over players.
Tips For Using the 1-3-2-4 Betting System
If you are going to use the 1-3-2-4 betting system, then there are a couple of pointers that you should keep in mind before you utilise the strategy.
Choose the correct stake for you – Work out how much you are willing to stake, and prepare for a losing streak to avoid any nasty surprises. By preparing for the worst, you can incur losses without significantly affecting your bankroll.
Start Slowly – By starting with small stakes, you can begin to understand which games you use this strategy on and how you like to use it. You can raise the stakes if you feel comfortable with the system later on.
Expect Variance – Both successful and unsuccessful streaks can occur at any point, so do not expect to see returns on half of your bets.
Remain Disciplined – Perhaps one of the most important tips is to make sure you do not stray from the sequence; otherwise, this completely removes the point of the strategy.
Take Advantage of Offers – Similar to matched betting, you can find offers which you can use throughout this strategy to reduce risks.
What Can I Bet On With The 1-3-2-4 Betting System
In theory, you can bet on anything with the 1-3-2-4 betting system; however, this is designed for casino games due to the close odds. In an ideal scenario, you want to find odds that are as close to even as possible.
Roulette – Perfect for betting on high or low, odds or even or red or black
Craps – Good for pass/ don’t pass bets
Horse Racing – Not ideal for this system, as there are not many close odds
Football – There is a good chance of finding even-money bets due to the large number of football matches being played.
1-3-2-4 Betting System VS Other Betting Strategies
Known as a progressive betting system, there are other betting systems with different sequences. None of them guarantees success, so it is worth comparing them to see which one suits you best.
| 1-3-2-6 | Incredibly similar to the 1-3-2-4 system, the only difference is the last number, which is 6. This means the potential profit is better; however, the potential losses on the last stage are increased. |
| Paroli Betting System | Every successful bet will double the stake unit; with every loss, the stake resets back to its original value. |
| Fibonacci Betting System | Known for being more complicated, the betting sequence increases, but the new number is the total of the two numbers before it. |
| Martingale Betting System | This is known to be incredibly risky, as every loss would see you double your betting unit, and revert to the original stake only when a return is made. |
1-3-2-4 Betting System In Sports and Casino Games
The 1-3-2-4 betting system is a conservative and progressive betting strategy that maximises the return of small payouts over a prolonged period, aiming to generate a profit. By using this, alongside other techniques such as value betting, bettors can aim to diversify their betting strategies and generate a profit through both casino games and sports.
If you are interested in betting on sports, then you can use our calculators, such as our matched betting calculator and our accumulator calculator, to find out the specific outcomes of your bets.
