2-1-2 Manhattan Betting System

Introduction

The 2-1-2 is a mildly progressive betting system, meant to win more in a strong winning session, but at the expense of losing more in a choppy session. It is also called the Manhattan, I assume because 2-1-2 is the original area code for New York City and is today confined to Manhattan. Other resources on the 2-1-2 online contradict each other and sometimes are internally inconsistent. This page endeavors to present what I think is the simplest and most logical version of the 2-1-2. Let's call it the Wizard variant of the 2-1-2.

Rules

Like most betting system, the 2-1-2 is designed for even money games and blackjack.

1. The player should decide on how much a betting "unit" is. For example, $10.
2. After any losing hand, the player will end the session or start over.
3. After any push, the player will repeat the previous bet.
4. The player starts with a 2-unit wager.
5. If the player wins the first bet, the second bet shall be one unit.
6. If the player wins any bet, other than the first one, he shall increase his next bet by one unit.

Another way to explain it is the player starts with a two-unit bet and always increases his bet by one unit after a win, except he decreases his bet by one unit after the first win.

Here is my flowchart of how to use the 2-1-2. Start with the "Bet 2 units" square.

Other variants:

• In what I will call the Blackjack University Variant, the player increases his bet from one units to three units after a second win. In the video I linked to, start watching at 5:42 for an example of this. Guys, if the player were supposed to do that, they would call it the 2-1-3 (Los Angeles) system.
• On many sites, Betway Insider, to name just one, has the player stay at one-unit bet after losing a one-unit bet. In other words, the player must lose a two-unit bet or more to quit.

Analysis

As mentioned in the rules, the player must lose to end a session of this system. So, in theory, the player could play endlessly. However, to not have to analyze an infinite number of possibilities, I will have the player walk away a winner if he wins 21 hands in a row (or a 20-unit bet). The probability of getting this far in craps, on the player bet, is 1 in 2.8 million.

The following table shows the net win, probability, and contribution to the return by following the 2-1-2 system on the Player bet in baccarat. The lower right cell shows an expected loss of 0.053506 units per session. The average number of bets per session is 4.332144. The ratio of expected money lost to money bet per session is 0.012351, the same as the house edge on the Player bet.

The following table shows the net win, probability, and contribution to the return by following the 2-1-2 system on the Banker bet in baccarat. The lower right cell shows an expected loss of 0.047746 units per session. The average number of bets per session is 4.513230. The ratio of expected money lost to money bet per session is 0.010579, the same as the house edge on the Player bet.

The following table shows the net win, probability, and contribution to the return by following the 2-1-2 system on any even money bet in single-zero roulette. The lower right cell shows an expected loss of 0.103915 units per session. The average number of bets per session is 3.844864. The ratio of expected money lost to money bet per session is 0.027027, the same as the house edge in this game.

The following table shows the net win, probability, and contribution to the return by following the 2-1-2 system on any even money bet in double-zero roulette. The lower right cell shows an expected loss of 0.195263 units per session. The average number of bets per session is 3.709994. The ratio of expected money lost to money bet per session is 0.052632, the same as the house edge in this game.

The following table shows the net win, probability, and contribution to the return by following the 2-1-2 system on any even money bet in triple-zero roulette. The lower right cell shows an expected loss of 0.276295 units per session. The average number of bets per session is 3.591833. The ratio of expected money lost to money bet per session is 0.076923, the same as the house edge in this game.

The following table shows the net win, probability, and contribution to the return by following the 2-1-2 system on the pass bet in craps. The lower right cell shows an expected loss of 0.055393 units per session. The average number of bets per session is 3.917097. The ratio of expected money lost to money bet per session is 0.014141, the same as the house edge on this bet.

The following table shows the net win, probability, and contribution to the return by following the 2-1-2 system on the don't pass bet in craps. The lower right cell shows an expected loss of 0.054950 units per session. The average number of bets per session is 4.029694. The ratio of expected money lost to money bet per session is 0.013636, the same as the house edge on this bet.

Video

Please enjoy my video on the 2-1-2.

Written by: Michael Shackleford