In recent weeks, we’ve reviewed popular betting systems for online casinos in Australia. We’ve looked at the Martingale strategy and the 2-1-2 strategy. Today, we will take a look at a lesser-known strategy that’s used in blackjack games. Oscar’s Grind is another progression strategy that’s similar to the Martingale but not quite as swingy. Let’s look at the system and whether it’s something you should use when playing blackjack.
What is Oscar’s Grind
Oscar’s Grind is a negative progression strategy for blackjack where you will chase losses after losing streaks. The strategy is similar to the Martingale, but your progression is nowhere near as fast. Let’s look at how the system works.
First, you decide what units you want to bet. To keep things simple, let’s assume you’re playing blackjack with a $5 minimum. You start playing a single $5 unit. Anytime that you lose a hand, you do not increase your bet size. If you bet 1 unit and lose, the next bet is one.
However, when you win, you will bump up your bet by 1 unit. You bet 1 unit and win, so now your next bet is 2 units. If you win again, you’ll bump up the bet by another unit. If you bet your 2 units and win, your next bet is 3 units.
So what happens if you lose at this point? If you lose your 3 unit bet, your next bet is 3 units. You only increase your bet sizing after wins. However, you will never decrease your bet sizing. This can put some stress on your bankroll after a while.
Example of Oscar in Normal Play
Let’s take a look at Oscar’s grind by looking at a 12 hand sample. Assume that you’re playing $5 per hand blackjack.
|
Bet Size |
Result |
Win / Loss |
|
1 |
Lose |
-1 |
|
1 |
Win |
Even |
|
2 |
Win |
+2 |
|
3 |
Win |
+5 |
|
4 |
Win |
+9 |
|
5 |
Lose |
+4 |
|
5 |
Lose |
-1 |
|
5 |
Lose |
-6 |
|
5 |
Lose |
-11 |
|
5 |
Win |
-6 |
|
6 |
Lose |
-12 |
|
6 |
Lose |
-18 |
As you can see, this strategy relies heavily on streaks. You do not win your losses back at once like in Martingale. Instead, you have to rely on a multi-win streak. When running well, this can help you quickly rack up profits. When losing, you can still rack up losses, but not as fast as with Martingale.
Pros and Cons of Oscar’s Grind
The primary advantage of using Oscar’s Grind is that you are limiting your risk while chasing your losses. You only increase your bet after you win a hand. This helps to reduce the impact of losing streaks. In the example above, you would have been betting 16 units after the four-hand losing streak instead of 5.
Also, if you are trying to avoid bumping into table limits, this strategy is better because you are moving up by one unit at a time. Unless you go on a long losing streak or are playing long sessions, you are less likely to bump against table limits.
Now, let’s look at the downside. In a way, this strategy can punish you for winning. Let’s assume you play and have a couple of win streaks. At the end of those streaks, you are now betting 10 units per hand instead of 1 unit. This is great when winning, but when you hit that inevitable losing streak, it will crush your bankroll quickly.
At 10 units per hand, you will blow through 100 units in just 10 hands. A couple of streaks like that will bust you in much the same way as the Martingale. Similar to Martingale, this strategy works best for those with a substantial bankroll. However, the average player risks going broke once the bets go up and variance take hold.