Progressive Betting Strategy Blackjack

  • Appendices
  • Miscellaneous
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Blackjack betting guide

Blackjack betting systems are known as progressive betting systems because they require increasing bets either following a win (known as a positive progression) or after a loss (known as a negative progression). The betting progressions are trying to take advantage of streaks that we know occur in blackjack (but, unfortunately, can’t be predicted).

Introduction

  • Progressive Betting is a betting system designed to capitalize on something which is manifested on almost any given night at the Blackjack table - Streaks. Using a Progressive Betting system will win you some big dollars when the play is streaky. There are many different betting systems used by Blackjack players throughout the world.
  • Progressive blackjack games begin just like any other version of the card game. After taking your seat, you'll notice two betting regions. There will be a standard circular betting area and a smaller circle or coin slot where you can place your progressive side bet.

As the name implies, this is a blackjack side bet with a progressive jackpot. For an optional $1, the blackjack player may win $3 to the progressive jackpot, which starts at $25,000. I saw this side bet at the New York New York casino, where they had three tables tied into the same progressive.

Rules

Just like in Caribbean Stud, the player puts the $1 for the Progressive side bet in a slot. Before dealing a new hand, the dealer presses a button, the dollars vanish, and a light designates who made the bet. The following table shows what each winning hand pays, the probability (based on the dealer peeking for blackjack), and the contribution to the return.

Progressive Betting Strategy Blackjack Odds

On July 30, 2001, the jackpot meter was at $35,537.36. At this time, I was told they recently put it in place and nobody had hit the jackpot yet. On August 11 the meter had risen to $37,746.28.

The following table shows the return based on a meter of $35,537.36, the amount the last time I observed it.

Progressive Blackjack

HandPermutationsProbabilityPaysReturn
4 red/black aces237600.00000335537.360.090844
4 aces2312640.00002520000.049763
3 suited aces1382400.00001510000.014873
3 non-suited aces33592320.0003612000.072283
2 Suited aces106790400.001149500.057447
2 non-suited aces384445440.004136150.062043
1 ace6621004800.07123430.213703
No aces85797187200.92307700
Total9294695280100.560955

The above table shows an expected return of 56.10% per dollar bet, or a house edge of 43.90%. The general formula for the return is 47.01%, plus 2.56% for each $10,000 in the meter. To have no house edge, the meter would need to reach $207,287.85. Also note there are no basic strategy deviations for this side bet. If the player gets two aces, then he should split anyway, which guarantees two more cards.

It is unclear to me what events cause the meter to go up and down. Sometimes the meter goes up by 28 cents for each $1 bet made. According to the Mikohn's web site, the house edge is 22%. If this is the case, then the meter contribution rate is 24.60%. Mikohn also mentions that part of each dollar goes to a higher reseed of the next jackpot. So 24.60% would be divided between the current meter and the next one. Based on this contribution rate, the average jackpot when won would be $121,225.86.

Blackjack Betting Strategy 1 3 2 6

Here is another version that has been seen at Internet casinos using Cryptologic software. The game uses eight decks of cards.

Progressive Blackjack — Cryptologic Version

Strategy

Progressive Betting Strategy Blackjack Game

HandPaysPermutationsProbabilityReturn
Four suited acesJackpot67200.00000023?
Three suited aces25005160960.000017480.043710
Four aces unsuited15008563200.000029010.043515
Three aces unsuited250109117440.000369660.092415
Two suited aces100355246080.001203480.120348
Two aces251217986560.004126200.103155
All other0293487183360.994253940.000000
Total295183324801.000000000.403142 + ?

Based on a $1 bet, this bet becomes break-even at $2,621,763.29. The general formula for the return is 0.403142 + jackpot/4,392,609.

Progressive Betting Strategy Blackjack Games


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Written by: Michael Shackleford