The 2-1-2 or otherwise known as Manhattan system is a simple staking plan used in online blackjack which can also be played with roulette. Essentially, the Manhattan appears to work similar to a positive progression system. If you win, you basically start by decreasing your stakes. If yet again you win, you increase them. As likely opposed to Martingale, that after a loss, the bets are doubled all the time. The Manhattan Betting System in Blackjack will take advantage of hot streaks at the same time cutting down on losses following a bad stretch. Let’s consider its mechanism here.
The 2-1-2 Manhattan Betting System
As implied in the name itself, you initiate your 2-1-2 sequence with a 2-unit bet. Our units will be set at £1, so that our initial wager is for £2.
We win our first hand, our stake then reduces to £1. Consequently, we win our second hand, and the bet goes up by £2, to £3. As it appears, we keep moving up and down until the dealer wins a hand. We then reset our stake to £2 at that certain point.
Operating the 2-1-2 / Manhattan staking system at the table
Taking a look at our table as follows, we are tracking 10 hands of classic blackjack and utilizing maximum strategy. We’re basically making use of a cheat sheet to aid us in implementing optimal strategy on every hand.
Take note that in blackjack, a winning hand pays 1/1. While a blackjack (an ace and a picture card) pays 3/2.
Based on our table, you notice that after 10 hands we are still in profit in spite of the two losing hands we are having. The stakes though haven’t strayed out of control either. Depending on hitting both winning and losing hands, they practically fluctuate.
Pros and Cons of the 2-1-2 / Manhattan plan
After all, the 2-1-2 is not about ludicrous runs. Yes, it can decrease and increase after a win but also remember it will reset in the event the dealer wins. Losses are kept under control and winning hands are steadier.
In order for you to know what the optimal move is during your hand, it’s vital to have a cheat sheet readily available. It basically tells you the proper time to hit and stand depending on both your cards and the dealer’s. Also, it will tell you when to double down and when to split pairs.
Here we will consider how the 2-1-2 system correlates with other popular staking plans:
Martingale
After a loss: Double your stake
After a win: Reset your stake to base unit
Pros and Cons: In this case, in the Martingale system, your stakes go up every time you lose.
The logic is that once you win, you will have compensated all of your losses. However, the Martingale is a non-factor in huge downswings that can irreversibly damage your bankroll.
D’Alembert
After a loss: Double your stake
After a win: Halve your current stake
Pros / Cons: The D’Alembert works a bit similarly with the Martingale in the sense that stakes increase after a losing hand.
On the other hand, following a win, they don’t reset. They rather simply reduce to half the current stake and go on. You basically aren’t punished by having your stake reset entirely.
The Martingale and the D’Alembert however, both have an issue. In the event of a long downswing, the losses can stack up and by the time you win, halving your stake might not even be sufficient to compensate for any losses.
Considerably, when played in the most ideal way, online blackjack has one of the lowest house edges in the casino. So long as you make the right plays, the edge can possibly be as low as 0.5%.
Having a system like the 2-1-2, you can better utilize your bankroll as well. Now, gain mastery of blackjack online at Real Live Dealer Casino and find out how this thought-provoking staking plan can work.
