One of the most effective of these strategies in blackjack is the 212 blackjack strategy. Asked to think of a classic casino table game, the chances are that many of you will think of blackjack. This game has been popular for centuries but has led to players looking for strategies they can use to beat the dealer and casino.

Also known as the ‘Manhattan Strategy’, the ‘212 Betting System’ is among the most commonly used blackjack strategies. The Basic Strategy probably edges it in terms of popularity but the 212 is certainly up there, especially when compared to other lesser-known betting systems.

Actually, the 212 Betting System and the Basic Strategy are very similar while being different at the same time. The basic strategy is not a system as such and is just the optimal way to play blackjack. It is about making the correct mathematical decisions based on the cards you and the dealer have been dealt. The 212 betting system actually requires that you use the basic strategy but determines how many chips you bet.

This guide will take you through the 212 betting strategy so that you understand how it works and how to implement it. Pretty soon, you will be armed with a betting system that you can try out for yourself at the blackjack tables!

What Can You Expect From the 212 Betting Strategy?

• A hot streak can bring great rewards
• It can help to minimise losses
• Winnings are protected so that you can play for longer

212 Betting Strategy: How it Works

If you are a regular roulette player, you are likely to have heard of numerous betting strategies that can help to improve your chances at the table. Among the most popular is the d’Alembert system and this is the strategy that the 212 Blackjack Betting System is based on.

The d’Alembert system involves increasing your bet after each consecutive win. Once you lose, you reset back to your original bet and start again. You can expect similar in the 212 Betting System except there is a core difference. After your first win, you actually reduce your bet. Then from the second win onwards, you continue to increase your bets until you lose.

212 Betting Strategy Steps:

1. Choose your desired minimum stake. Note that it should not be the table minimum as you will have to reduce this bet after your first win.
2. Bet that amount until you win a hand.
3. Once you win, reduce your bet by a single unit.
4. Now, after each consecutive win, you increase your bet by a single unit.
5. Continue doing this until you lose.
6. Return to your chosen bet amount and rinse and repeat the steps above.

A 10-Hand Example of How the 212 Blackjack Strategy Might Play Out

In this example, we have chosen to play at a 5 MYR minimum stake blackjack table and set our minimum bet as $6. This is to allow the ability to reduce our bet by 1 unit after a win.

1st Hand: We ‘Lost’ the hand and prepared our next 6 MYR bet for the 2nd hand.

2nd Hand: We ‘Won’ and now have to bet 5 MYR on the next hand after reducing by 1 unit.

3rd Hand:  We ‘Won’ again, so increase our next bet to 6 MYR

4th Hand: We ‘Won’ so now it is up to 7 MYR

5th Hand: We ‘Won’ so increase our bet to 8 MYR

6th Hand: We ‘Won’ yet again and now our bet increases to 9 MYR

7th Hand: We ‘Lost’ so we reset back to our minimum bet of 6 MYR

8th Hand: We ‘Won’ so reduce to 5 MYR

9th Hand: We ‘Won’ so increase to 6 MYR

10th hand: We ‘Lost’ so we reset once again to 6 MYR

What are the Advantages of Using the 212 Betting System?

• You only use a small portion of your profits after a win – protecting them.
• A loss signals the restart of the system
• Small bet increases prevents chasing losses
• Winning streaks can be big thanks to incremental bet increases
• Works on all variants of blackjack

What are the Disadvantages of Using the 212 Betting System?

• Is not 100% guaranteed to work all the time
• Early session losing streaks can be difficult to recover from
• You require a decent bankroll to be able to increase bets
• Requires using Basic Strategy for best results

A Summary of the Most Popular Blackjack Betting Systems

Because Blackjack is a game of chance that favours the casino (or house), players have always looked for ways to increase their chances at the tables. There are tons of blackjack strategies that have been created to try and negate the house edge and give players a way to beat the casino.

While it is impossible to completely remove that house edge no matter the betting system, many of these systems do improve your chances of success. At the very least they will help you to minimise losses and maximise wins.

However, while there are other systems you can use, the 212 Betting System and the Basic Strategy are those used the most. As mentioned earlier, they are often used together. We recommend that you use the basic strategy when trying out the 212 betting system – simply because you should always make the correct decision when playing blackjack.

We should warn you that no system can guarantee that you win. Each hand of Blackjack is random so there is just as much chance of you winning 10 hands in a row as there is of losing them. You will require some luck. What this system does ensure is that you take advantage of the winning streaks when they come and minimise the effects of a losing streak.

Blackjack and all other casino games are edged slightly in the favor of casinos, else they would not make money. This does not mean that you cannot enjoy some good wins, however, and this is what this system will allow you to do. Just learn to walk away when you are up!