The Parlay betting system for Blackjack is designed to make use of the house’s money (the casino) in order to build up a strong bankroll and ultimately only bet with money made from profits, leaving your original bankroll amount untouched. This system of betting is most commonly referred to as pyramid betting and it is a system that is widely practised in everything from casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, to non-casino relating gambling activities including horse race betting, certain sports betting types and greyhound racing. The basic structure of the Parlay strategy is akin to other positive progression betting systems and uses the rule of only increasing bets based on winning hands.
Most important Parlay strategy facts
- Is fairly easy to learn and implement in a real game
- Aims to use the money made off the house (casino) solely as a means of wagering
- Uses a positive progression betting system where wagers only increase after winning hands
- Can be used to cover a multitude of different betting scenarios including casino games and sports racing
Parlay Strategy for Blackjack Basics
Since the Parlay system follows the positive progression betting system (most Blackjack betting systems outside of card counting can only follow a positive progression or negative progression betting system) we can work out how the system will begin to work towards the goal of only playing with the house’s money. Incidentally, for more information about how positive and negative progression betting systems work, please check out our article on different Blackjack betting systems.
Other strategies you might want to check out:
- Trend Strategy
- Trend Betting Strategy
- Paroli Strategy
- Parlay Strategy
- Martingale Strategy
- Labouchere Strategy
- Follow the Leader Strategy
- Dozen Grid Strategy
- D’Alembert Strategy
The Parlay system for Blackjack betting attempts to find a compromise with other more aggressive positive progression betting system that requires players to double their wager following a winning hand. The basic initial unit value is determined by the player but it usually coincides with whatever the house table minimum is for Blackjack. The term ‘parlay’ is an old one that has been used in betting for hundreds of years, originating in horse racing when a winning bet was used on another bet by combining the original stake plus the profit made on the first bet.
Parlay betting system for Blackjack
The Parlay strategy for blackjack
Explained by example
Doubling bets after a winning hand in Blackjack is very risky as there is no real way to be certain that your next bet will win. Perhaps in horse racing, it is somewhat easier to pick a winner based on various statistical data, but without the aid of card counting in Blackjack, knowing what the next hand may hold is quite tricky. This is why the Parlay system does not use a double-up betting system as some other positive progression betting systems do. Look at this example of what could happen if you use a simple double-up betting system over a five hand progression:
- Bet 1 unit – result – win
- Bet (Parlay) 2 units – result – win
- Bet 4 units – result – win
- Bet 8 units – result – win
- Bet 16 units – result – lose
In this potential scenario you started with a single unit and over a five hand cycle ended up losing 16 units, that is a considerable loss! Take a look at this example sings the same five handcycles but with the Parlay strategy for a blackjack instead:
- Bet 1 unit – result – win
- Bet 2 units – result – win
- Bet 3 units – result – win
- Bet 4 units – result – win
- Bet 6 units – result – lose
The results from the second example clearly demonstrate how altering the way the bets are made can end up reducing your risk while still making some gains.
Summary
- The Parlay betting system can be adapted to suit a variety of gambling platforms including Blackjack and Roulette
- Using this betting system, we can reduce the risk that is normally associated with other positive progression systems which require players to double on each consecutive winning bet
- The Parlay system is thus superior to other positive progression betting systems since the increased amount is more gradual for each successive winning bet
- If the next bet is a losing bet then the end result is a reduced loss with some gains to show for it
Advantages and disadvantages of the Parlay strategy for blackjack
As it is with all Blackjack betting systems there are a few positives and there are a few negatives to consider. On the positive side, the Parlay betting system is far more lenient in terms of the expected amount that must be wagered for each winning hand. As we have clearly demonstrated in the above examples, it does not make any sense in Blackjack’s betting strategy to keep doubling our wager on each successive Blackjack bet. Sooner or later the next hand will be a losing hand and, if you had followed the doubling principle, you could end up losing a considerable amount. From a negative point of view, a big disadvantage to the Parlay betting system is that it requires a rather long string of wins in a row for it to be anywhere near an effective level of success. This, however, is also true for all positive progression betting systems. This has always been the problem that has plagued not only positive progression betting systems but Blackjack betting in general, keeping a winning streak going. The big difference with the Parlay betting system, when compared to other similar online Blackjack betting systems, is that you will only lose the table minimum (assuming that is what you started out with) during losing hands or losing streaks and because of the more gradual incremental increase in positive streak bets, you are guaranteed to take in a profit.
Chance and risks
Using the Parlay betting system
Now that we have had a look at the advantages and disadvantages of the Parlay betting system in Blackjack, especially in relation to other more aggressive positive progression betting systems, let’s take a deeper look at the bottom line. We can examine who this system would be ideal for, what actual risks are involved with the system and whether or not profits can be guaranteed.
Who is suitable for the Parlay strategy for blackjack?
The Parlay betting system can be easily learned and adapted to any level of player because the progression system used is very simple to understand and implement. The Parlay strategy is very well-suited for novice players to use since the learning curve is extremely low. The system will also give new players more confidence when they start to make wagers as the starting wager is just a single unit equal to the table minimum. The unit increase is gradual, making it less intimidating than other betting systems.
How high is the risk?
The risk involved is not that high and only comes into effect when a losing hand is encountered. We have seen from the table comparisons earlier in this article that the Parlay betting system uses a smaller and more gradual incremental increase following winning hands and therefore a smaller loss factor when a losing hand or losing streak is encountered. Other systems that require a doubling of wagers during a winning hand progression will lose much more when a losing hand is encountered and this increases the longer the winning handcycle is.
Are winnings guaranteed?
The question of whether winnings are guaranteed is quite complicated because naturally wins will be guaranteed during a winning streak. What can be guaranteed when using the Parlay betting system is that losing margins are minimal and cannot exceed the table minimum. The Parlay betting system also guarantees that you will be able to bank a profit during a winning streak. This system makes the difference between a losing and a winning streak more even and is far less destructive to your bankroll.
Parlay betting system for Blackjack risks and rewards
Conclusion
Is the Parlay betting system worth a go?
As far as most positive progression betting systems are concerned, the Parlay strategy for blackjack is one of the better ones and poses a much smaller risk to your bankroll. The system is ideal for novice players as it is easy to learn and will get you into the game quite quickly. From a risk perspective, since you are using a much more gradual sort of wagering system, similar to the Fibonacci betting system, the risk of losing a lot is reduced quite considerably. The ultimate goal of being able to bet with just the house’s money can be achieved since each small winning streak will bank profits and, if you stick to the game for long enough, you will be able to achieve these goals. Take a look at our tips and tricks for using the Parlay betting system.
Highlights
- The strategy is very flexible and adaptable
- It is easy to understand and easy to use
- The betting system is based on a positive progression
Tipps/Hinweise
- Choose the table minimum as your betting unit size
- Find a good casino by doing a quick online casino comparison
- Find Blackjack games that offer a practice mode to perfect the Parlay betting system on
- A successful Blackjack player is one who can walk away from the table with a profit
- Big tip: do a casino bonus comparison to find a casino with a good welcome bonus for playing Blackjack to give your bankroll an extra boost