Advanced Progression Systems
The advanced systems differ from the intermediate systems by being multi-level
or multi-phase. They are more complicated and would be more useful to the
professional Blackjack player. They are hard to evaluate for profitability using my
simple mathematical formula. They are included for completeness, but not
recommended for the beginning average Joe.
Advanced System #1
The first advanced system to discuss was created by Richard Harvey. He calls it
the 3-Level, Notch-Up, Notch-Down Bet Management System. Level One is a 1-2-
3 system where one unit is the basic bet. Should you win all three bets, it’s time
to notch up to Level Two. Level Two increases the base bet to two units, so it is
a 2-3-4 system. In both levels if you lose, you drop to the basic bet for that
level. Should you lose again (two in a row) in Level Two you drop down to Level
One, base bet. Then as you win, begin progressing through the system again.
However, if you continue to lose, stay at the one unit level until things improve.
Level Three is a 3-4-5-unit system. When in Level Two, should you progress to
and win the four-unit bet, and the table seems very “player friendly,” go to Level
Three. Begin with a three-unit basic bet and go through the system. If you lose
one bet, go to your three unit basic bet for this level. If you lose two in a row,
drop back to Level Two, basic bet. I am going to try to diagram the system
because it is somewhat complex.
1-2-3 (if you win) 2-3-4 (if you win) 3-4-5
Level One Level Two Level Three
There is a built-in drop down after the third win, so it would act like the
regression in John Patrick's New York system. This lock in bet assures a winning
series, so, it is a very smart thing to do. This could be incorporated into any 123
betting progression with success.
Should you like an in depth explanation of this system, purchase the book
Blackjack The Smart Way (1999). It is well written and is another book you need
in your library. Harvey gives some very practical information about some of the
more controversial situations you encounter. His information on card observation
needs to be read by everyone who plays. I have used it to my benefit when
making a critical call on insurance, doubling, and hitting.
One thing to note is, with this advanced system, one does not always enter the
sequence at 1 unit. For instance, if you won five in a row, the next bet would be
4 units. If lost, the bet to follow would be 2 units, which is the basic unit for that
level. If you only lose the 4-unit bet and win the 2-unit bet, you would start the
next winning series there, rather than at one unit. The next series would look
like the following:
2 - 3 - 4 - 3 - 4 - 5 …
Advanced System #2
Jerry Patterson in Blackjack A Winner’s Handbook (2001) created a four-phase
system called Takedown. The first phase is called Table Evaluation. In this
phase, as the name implies, the table is evaluated for its dealer or player bias.
This can be a brief evaluation but buy in with ten units, have a stop-loss of six
units, and play the table minimum. If you win two of three hands and the dealer
breaks one of these, you may proceed to phase two.
Phase two is called Buildup. During this phase you work your way up from one
to five units per level. The system uses a flat bet until three units are won at
that level. Starting with one-unit bets, flat bet until you have won three units.
They do not have to be consecutive wins and probably won’t be. Once you’re
three units ahead, go to level two with a two unit flat bet. Again bet flat until
you are ahead three bets or in this case, six units. This is carried through five
levels, to a five-unit bet, with the goal of winning three bets per level. Once all
five levels are achieved, you can go to phase three. When a loss occurs during
Buildup, drop down a level and stay there for one hand. If you win, then go back
up. If you lose a second in a row, place one more bet at the lower of the two
levels. Should you lose, abort the sequence and leave the table or start again at
level one. So, three losses in a row triggers stopping play. This preserves the
winnings from the previous levels so you leave the table a winner.
Phase three is called Score. Patterson feels if you have gotten this far then you
are at a great table and you should cash in, or, as my dad says, “make hay while
the sun shines.” He introduces a progression system based on the Fibonacci
Sequence. Fibonacci was a mathematician in the Middle Ages who came up with
a series of numbers called the Fibonacci Sequence. The numbers are one, two,
three, five, eight, thirteen, twenty-one… Each number is the sum of the two prior
numbers. Patterson suggests you set aside twenty units for this sequence.
Starting with one unit, if you win, bet two. If you win, bet three, and on and on.
If you lose, move back two levels to get your next bet. Lose two and go back to
one unit.
The final phase is called Takedown, which stops you from losing back more than
a third of your profits from phase three. You simply divide the chips into one
third and two thirds. Play with the one third and when they are gone it’s time to
go. If you keep winning, put aside 2/3 of the winnings and add one third to your
playing pile. This way you restrict your losses during Takedown to 1/3 of your
total.
Phase two, Buildup, is flat betting at five different levels. Once 3 bets at one
level have been won, you then move up a level and win three more, move up
and so forth. The goal is to win 3 bets at each of the five levels. If you lose,
drop down a level - say from 3 units to 2 units. Win at that level and go back
up. Lose a second time, place a second bet at the lower level. Lose this one
and quit the table or start over at level one.
Advanced System #3
Frits Dunki-Jacobs in Betting on Blackjack, 2004, reveals his advanced system
called the Current Loss Balance Betting Strategy. It requires an explanation too
lengthy for this overview. So, I refer you to his book. It does require you to use
a negative progression through four bets, but as I have proven, the losses are
no more with a limited negative progression(see Will you lose more using a
limited negative progression).
Advanced System #4
The next advanced system is from The Most Powerful Blackjack Manual, 2004, by
Jay Moore. He calls it Delayed and Up. As with #3 above, this method is too
complicated to explain here, and it sells books, so if you are curious, check it out.
I got mine at Barnes and Noble, but I'm sure any bookstore can order it. It also
has a negative progression as a major component. There are a lot of similarities
between my EZ Bet system and his. The book is excellent and the system, or
method, looks promising.
Advanced System #5
The final method, as he prefers it to be called, is The Big Secret. It is found in
Powerful Profits from Blackjack, by Victor Royer. He explains it pretty well, and I
will let you check it out in the bookstore. It doesn't involve a negative
progression, but I'll let Victor do the explaining.
If I were to use any of the above systems, I would probably use Jay Moore's
method. My reason is simply that it is a lot like my system, so I know it will
work. The first two methods have safeguards to prevent you from losing your
profits back when a losing streak occurs, but I have only used them on paper
and not with chips.
The advanced systems differ from the intermediate systems by being multi-level
or multi-phase. They are more complicated and would be more useful to the
professional Blackjack player. They are hard to evaluate for profitability using my
simple mathematical formula. They are included for completeness, but not
recommended for the beginning average Joe.
Advanced System #1
The first advanced system to discuss was created by Richard Harvey. He calls it
the 3-Level, Notch-Up, Notch-Down Bet Management System. Level One is a 1-2-
3 system where one unit is the basic bet. Should you win all three bets, it’s time
to notch up to Level Two. Level Two increases the base bet to two units, so it is
a 2-3-4 system. In both levels if you lose, you drop to the basic bet for that
level. Should you lose again (two in a row) in Level Two you drop down to Level
One, base bet. Then as you win, begin progressing through the system again.
However, if you continue to lose, stay at the one unit level until things improve.
Level Three is a 3-4-5-unit system. When in Level Two, should you progress to
and win the four-unit bet, and the table seems very “player friendly,” go to Level
Three. Begin with a three-unit basic bet and go through the system. If you lose
one bet, go to your three unit basic bet for this level. If you lose two in a row,
drop back to Level Two, basic bet. I am going to try to diagram the system
because it is somewhat complex.
1-2-3 (if you win) 2-3-4 (if you win) 3-4-5
Level One Level Two Level Three
There is a built-in drop down after the third win, so it would act like the
regression in John Patrick's New York system. This lock in bet assures a winning
series, so, it is a very smart thing to do. This could be incorporated into any 123
betting progression with success.
Should you like an in depth explanation of this system, purchase the book
Blackjack The Smart Way (1999). It is well written and is another book you need
in your library. Harvey gives some very practical information about some of the
more controversial situations you encounter. His information on card observation
needs to be read by everyone who plays. I have used it to my benefit when
making a critical call on insurance, doubling, and hitting.
One thing to note is, with this advanced system, one does not always enter the
sequence at 1 unit. For instance, if you won five in a row, the next bet would be
4 units. If lost, the bet to follow would be 2 units, which is the basic unit for that
level. If you only lose the 4-unit bet and win the 2-unit bet, you would start the
next winning series there, rather than at one unit. The next series would look
like the following:
2 - 3 - 4 - 3 - 4 - 5 …
Advanced System #2
Jerry Patterson in Blackjack A Winner’s Handbook (2001) created a four-phase
system called Takedown. The first phase is called Table Evaluation. In this
phase, as the name implies, the table is evaluated for its dealer or player bias.
This can be a brief evaluation but buy in with ten units, have a stop-loss of six
units, and play the table minimum. If you win two of three hands and the dealer
breaks one of these, you may proceed to phase two.
Phase two is called Buildup. During this phase you work your way up from one
to five units per level. The system uses a flat bet until three units are won at
that level. Starting with one-unit bets, flat bet until you have won three units.
They do not have to be consecutive wins and probably won’t be. Once you’re
three units ahead, go to level two with a two unit flat bet. Again bet flat until
you are ahead three bets or in this case, six units. This is carried through five
levels, to a five-unit bet, with the goal of winning three bets per level. Once all
five levels are achieved, you can go to phase three. When a loss occurs during
Buildup, drop down a level and stay there for one hand. If you win, then go back
up. If you lose a second in a row, place one more bet at the lower of the two
levels. Should you lose, abort the sequence and leave the table or start again at
level one. So, three losses in a row triggers stopping play. This preserves the
winnings from the previous levels so you leave the table a winner.
Phase three is called Score. Patterson feels if you have gotten this far then you
are at a great table and you should cash in, or, as my dad says, “make hay while
the sun shines.” He introduces a progression system based on the Fibonacci
Sequence. Fibonacci was a mathematician in the Middle Ages who came up with
a series of numbers called the Fibonacci Sequence. The numbers are one, two,
three, five, eight, thirteen, twenty-one… Each number is the sum of the two prior
numbers. Patterson suggests you set aside twenty units for this sequence.
Starting with one unit, if you win, bet two. If you win, bet three, and on and on.
If you lose, move back two levels to get your next bet. Lose two and go back to
one unit.
The final phase is called Takedown, which stops you from losing back more than
a third of your profits from phase three. You simply divide the chips into one
third and two thirds. Play with the one third and when they are gone it’s time to
go. If you keep winning, put aside 2/3 of the winnings and add one third to your
playing pile. This way you restrict your losses during Takedown to 1/3 of your
total.
Phase two, Buildup, is flat betting at five different levels. Once 3 bets at one
level have been won, you then move up a level and win three more, move up
and so forth. The goal is to win 3 bets at each of the five levels. If you lose,
drop down a level - say from 3 units to 2 units. Win at that level and go back
up. Lose a second time, place a second bet at the lower level. Lose this one
and quit the table or start over at level one.
Advanced System #3
Frits Dunki-Jacobs in Betting on Blackjack, 2004, reveals his advanced system
called the Current Loss Balance Betting Strategy. It requires an explanation too
lengthy for this overview. So, I refer you to his book. It does require you to use
a negative progression through four bets, but as I have proven, the losses are
no more with a limited negative progression(see Will you lose more using a
limited negative progression).
Advanced System #4
The next advanced system is from The Most Powerful Blackjack Manual, 2004, by
Jay Moore. He calls it Delayed and Up. As with #3 above, this method is too
complicated to explain here, and it sells books, so if you are curious, check it out.
I got mine at Barnes and Noble, but I'm sure any bookstore can order it. It also
has a negative progression as a major component. There are a lot of similarities
between my EZ Bet system and his. The book is excellent and the system, or
method, looks promising.
Advanced System #5
The final method, as he prefers it to be called, is The Big Secret. It is found in
Powerful Profits from Blackjack, by Victor Royer. He explains it pretty well, and I
will let you check it out in the bookstore. It doesn't involve a negative
progression, but I'll let Victor do the explaining.
If I were to use any of the above systems, I would probably use Jay Moore's
method. My reason is simply that it is a lot like my system, so I know it will
work. The first two methods have safeguards to prevent you from losing your
profits back when a losing streak occurs, but I have only used them on paper
and not with chips.
