The Fibonacci betting system helps casino players determine how much to stake when playing online blackjack for free, roulette online for free, baccarat, and other popular games. It is a negative progression system, meaning you increase your stake each time you lose a wager. Fibonacci system betting is considered to be safer than following alternative strategies like the Martingale, but it still offers the potential for exciting profits. This Fibonacci strategy guide will explain how the system works, round up the pros and cons of using it, and describe how to apply the Fibonacci system to a variety of games at online casinos.
Leonardo Bonacci of Pisa was renowned as the most talented mathematician of the Middle Ages. He went by the name of Fibonacci and found fame by popularising the numeral system across Europe in the early 13th century. Nowadays, he is best known for his famous Fibonacci sequence, which remains popular some 770 years after his death.
He created the Fibonacci sequence to calculate the growth of rabbit populations. The Fibonacci numbers, commonly denoted Fn, form a sequence whereby each number is the sum of the preceding two numbers, starting with 0 and 1. If you are into algebra, Fn = Fn−1 + Fn−2 for n ≥ 2 with F0 = 0, F1 = 1, which gives the sequence F0, F1, F2.
However, you do not actually need to worry about any of that if you want to follow the Fibonacci strategy. You just need to remember the sequence it produces or have the ability to work it out in your head. Every new number equals the sum of the previous two numbers, so for a Fibonacci betting system, you would go with 1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34-55-89-144-233-377-610-987, and so on.
You can then use this sequence to determine how much you should wager on each spin of the roulette wheel, hand of blackjack or baccarat, or throw of the dice in craps. It is generally used on even money bets, where the chance of success is roughly 50/50, such as red/black or odd/even on the live roulette game.
Start off by setting aside a bankroll, which is an amount of money that you are comfortable with losing in a worst-case scenario. Assign a certain proportion of this bankroll as your base unit. It is unwise to go higher than 5% of your bankroll as a base unit amount, and many find 2% to be a safer choice. The base unit amount must not change while you are playing.
Let’s say you have C$500 to play with and opt for 2% of your bankroll as a base unit. That amounts to C$10. You would start off by betting C$10, which is 1 unit (the sequence begins with 1). If you were to win, you would start again by placing another C$10 bet. However, if you lose, you move up the sequence: 1-1-2-3-5, and so on.
If you lose an initial C$10 bet, your second bet would also be for C$10 in this example. If that is lost, you would place a C$20 bet for your third wager, a C$30 stake for your fourth bet, a C$50 stake for your fifth bet, and so on, until you eventually win. You multiply your base unit by the number in the sequence to determine the amount you should wager.
If you lose a bet, move one number up the sequence. If you win, move two numbers down the sequence. Continue following that pattern as you play in order to use Fibonacci system betting. You simply work your way through the chain until you win, and then work your way back two places in the sequence and keep going.
ℹ️ This chart explains a hypothetical application of the Fibonacci betting system in practice:
#️⃣ Wager | 💰 Stake | 🥇 Result of Bet | ⚖ Balance |
---|---|---|---|
1️⃣ First Bet | C$10 | Loss | -C$10 |
2️⃣ Second Bet | C$10 | Loss | -C$20 |
3️⃣ Third Bet | C$20 | Loss | -C$40 |
4️⃣ Fourth Bet | C$30 | Loss | -C$70 |
5️⃣ Fifth Bet | C$50 | Win | C$30 |
6️⃣ Sixth Bet | C$20 | Loss | C$10 |
7️⃣ Seventh Bet | C$30 | Loss | -C$20 |
8️⃣ Eighth Bet | C$50 | Win | C$80 |
9️⃣ Ninth Bet | C$20 | Loss | C$60 |
1️⃣0️⃣ Tenth Bet | C$30 | Win | C$120 |
In this example, you have won just three out of your 10 bets, but you would emerge with a profit by increasing your stake after each loss. If you had followed the more aggressive Martingale system while betting, that initial streak of four losses would have been a lot more damaging. The Fibonacci strategy is, therefore, considered to be safer than other progression systems.
The Fibonacci betting system is a negative progression system, as you decrease your stake after a win and increase it after a loss. Some players prefer to follow a reverse Fibonacci strategy. This involves the same sequence, but you move up the sequence after winning and down after losing. That is a more aggressive and potentially riskier strategy, but it can yield high returns if you enjoy a winning streak.
Blackjack online is beloved by gamblers across the world due to the speed, simplicity, and excitement it offers. Given this popularity, it is natural that many blackjack betting systems have evolved in time. Fibonacci is one of them.
The house edge is very small on this game: classic blackjack has a theoretical RTP (return to player) of 99.41%, meaning your chances of winning each hand are very close to 50%. It is, therefore, the perfect game for the Fibonacci betting system.
If you want to apply a Fibonacci strategy to blackjack, make sure you know how to play blackjack online and have a clear bankroll for your session. Choose a proportion of that bankroll for your initial wager, and remember that this will be your base unit. The Fibonacci betting system only works if you have a large enough bankroll to cover a lengthy losing streak. If the minimum bet at a table is C$5 and you only have C$30 to play with, you might want to consider an alternative strategy to Fibonacci system betting.
Let’s say you have C$250, and you decide that C$5 will be your unit price. If you are playing live blackjack at the best live blackjack casino, you can have the Fibonacci sequence on your computer or printed in front of you: 1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34. This translates to C$5, C$5, C$10, C$15, C$25, C$40, C$65, C$105, C$170, and so on if your unit is C$5 when following the Fibonacci strategy.
Place your first bet at C$5. If it wins, start the sequence from the beginning. If you lose, move forward by one place, wagering C$5. If you lose again, wager C$10 the next time, then C$15, then C$25, then C$40, and so on, until you win. If you were to win at C$40, you would move back two places for the next wager, meaning you would bet C$15 on your next hand. Continue moving up one place with each loss and down two places with each win until your session comes to an end.
There are no specific rules to follow in the event that you land a blackjack, successfully double down, or successfully split your hand. Many players using the Fibonacci strategy simply add the extra winnings to their bankrolls and continue following the sequence. The best way to secure a large profit when playing a Fibonacci strategy is to land five consecutive wins, particularly if you are already reasonably deep into the sequence when you pull it off.
You can follow a Fibonacci roulette betting system when placing side bets on 50/50 events, such as red/black, odd/even, or 1-18/19-36. It is inappropriate to use a Fibonacci roulette betting system to bet on individual numbers, columns, dozens, or corners.
If you are playing online roulette, it might be worth depositing a specific bankroll into your account at the start of your session rather than continually topping it up. Choose a percentage of that bankroll as a base unit. Some people go for just 0.33% of their bankroll when following the Fibonacci roulette betting system, while others are a lot bolder and go up to 5%. It is perhaps unadvisable to go higher than 5%, as you need to cover yourself in the event of a losing streak when following the Fibonacci roulette betting system.
You can then choose which roulette game to play. You generally stand a greater theoretical chance of success by playing European Roulette as opposed to American Roulette. The former has a zero, which gives the house a slight edge on red/black, odd/even, and 1-18/19-36 bets, but the latter has a zero and a double zero, which significantly increases the house's edge. This is true whenever you play roulette, but it is an especially important concern when using a negative progression strategy like the Fibonacci roulette betting system.
Place a single unit on your preferred selection, such as red. If the ball lands on red, start the sequence again. If it lands on black or zero, move up the sequence and place one unit on red again. If you lose again, place two units on red for the next spin, then move to three units for the following spin if you suffer another loss. The idea behind the Fibonacci roulette betting system is to keep ramping up your stake in order to recoup losses.
Remember that the Fibonacci roulette betting system is relatively safe to use at the best online casinos for roulette, but it is mainly focused on limiting losses as opposed to rapidly generating large profits. You should also be psychologically prepared for a losing streak. Even if you bet just C$1 as your base unit, you would still be looking at placing a C$610 bet if you lose 14 spins in a row. The idea is that you recoup the losses by eventually winning, but it can be daunting to be significantly down and placing large wagers at the same time.
Also, check the limits per spin. If the limit is C$100, and your Fibonacci roulette betting system requires you to place a C$144 wager to erase previous losses, you will be unable to follow the sequence. It is, therefore, imperative that you find a roulette game with a relatively low minimum bet and a pretty high maximum bet in order to follow the roulette strategy to win.
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Baccarat is one of the world’s most popular casino games due to its simple rules, rapid gameplay, variety, and low house edge. Many people are, therefore, understandably keen to explore a Fibonacci baccarat betting strategy to see if it can help them enjoy a fun and successful time at the table. The system can be applied to live dealer baccarat and to other types of baccarat games.
A Fibonacci baccarat betting system is similar to the approach described in the blackjack betting strategy section of this Fibonacci system betting guide. Work out whether you want to go for a banker bet or a player bet, and place one unit for your first bet. Remember that the house edge is 1.06% on the banker bet and 1.24% on the player bet. You would probably not want to use a Fibonacci baccarat betting system approach to betting on a tie, whereby the house edge jumps to 14.4%, and the payout is 8:1 or 9:1.
It is important that you nail down a sensible bankroll before following a Fibonacci baccarat betting system. Fibonacci baccarat wagering will not work if your bankroll is too small, your base unit is too high, and you endure a losing streak. Ascertain the minimum stake at the baccarat table and the maximum stake, and choose your bankroll and unit amount accordingly before you start your Fibonacci baccarat betting journey.
You might have a C$200 bankroll and opt for a C$2 base unit if the limits allow. You would then start off by placing a C$2 bet. If it loses, place another C$2 bet, and if that loses, increase it to C$4, and then C$6 and C$10, and so on, until you win. When you win, go back two places and resume, following the 1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34-55-89 sequence.
Some players also like to revert back to the start of the sequence when they enjoy a profitable cycle. Just make sure you stick to the sequence and do not accidentally move backward or forward by an incorrect number of places, as that throws the entire sequence out of whack and undermines the Fibonacci baccarat betting strategy.
Craps is one of the more glamorous casino games, beloved by James Bond and legions of well-heeled visitors to the casino floor alike. It has also proved very popular at online casinos, which have done a great job of replicating the excitement of the casino table on desktops and mobiles. Many players apply the Fibonacci strategy to craps and say it helps them manage their bankrolls, chase losses, and stay at the table for long periods of time.
A Fibonacci betting system for craps is similar to the Fibonacci roulette betting system described above. It will not work on all craps bets, but you can use it on 1:1 bets when playing this popular game. Those bets are pass or don’t pass, come or don’t come, Big 6 or Big 8.
Let’s say you have a bankroll of C$10,000, and you like betting on pass the line, which has a house edge of just 1.41%. That makes it a suitable game for Fibonacci system betting. You might decide to allocate 2% of your funds for a base unit, which is equivalent to C$200 in this instance. This example is for a pretty high roller, but you can easily adapt it for smaller bankrolls.
You would first wager C$200 on pass. If it passes the line, take your C$200 in winnings and start the Fibonacci sequence again. If it loses, move forward one place and bet C$200 again. If you lose, move forward to another place and bet C$400. If that wins, move back two places and bet C$200 again. Keep moving up one place when you lose and back two places when you win, and see how you find the Fibonacci strategy. It is identical to the Fibonacci roulette betting system and Fibonacci baccarat, as the Fibonacci strategy is very versatile for online casino players.
Fibonacci didn't work for you? Why not try one of the following betting systems instead?
Lee James Gwilliam has over 10 years as a poker player and 5 in the casino industry. He has been all around the industry, working for a casino, writing more than 3,000 articles for various independent review sites and is an active player of slots, live dealer and poker.
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