The Paroli system is a popular betting strategy that encourages you to increase the size of your stake each time you win at a casino game. It is designed to maximize winning streaks, so it is considered to be a positive progression system. You can use the Paroli system in blackjack, online live roulette, baccarat, craps, and other casino games and at leading online casinos. This Paroli system guide will teach you everything you need to know about the strategy, the pros and cons of following it, and how to apply it to the most common games on the casino floor.
The Paroli betting system derives its name from the Latin term “par”, which means “one that is equal”. Anyone who plays golf is well-versed in the concept of par. The idea is that you double the size of your wager each time you win a blackjack hand, a spin of the roulette wheel, or a throw of the dice.
The Paroli system is designed to be used on bets with even odds, such as red/black roulette odds or pass/don’t pass in craps. The house takes a slight edge on all casino games, but those bets are considered 1:1 wagers. The Paroli system is an alternative to strategies such as the D’Alembert, the Martingale, and the Fibonacci. In fact, the Paroli system is actually a reverse of the Martingale.
These strategies tell you how much to wager on each hand, and they are all applicable to bets with a roughly even chance of success. The Paroli system is more aggressive than many competing strategies, as it requires doubling your stake after a win, and it does not require the player to chase losses.
The aim of the Paroli system is always to secure three consecutive wins, regardless of whether you are following a Paroli system roulette, a Paroli system blackjack, a Paroli system baccarat or a Paroli system craps. You double your stake with each win, but you go back to the start if you lose or land three consecutive winners.
If you want to use the Paroli system in free blackjack, free online roulette, Pai Gow, or any other casino game, you must start by setting aside a bankroll. This is essentially a sum of money that you are comfortable losing in a worst-case scenario. The Paroli system is popular with many casual players because it does not require a substantial bankroll.
Allocate a percentage of your bankroll as your base unit. For this example, let’s say you have chosen $10. Place your first bet for $10 at your game of choice. If it wins, double your stake to $20 for your second bet. If it wins again, double it to $40 for your third bet. If that also wins, start again by wagering $10 the next time. If you lose a hand, go back to the start and bet $10 on the next hand.
This chart shows a theoretical casino session when using a Paroli system:
Wager | Stake | Result of Bet | Balance |
---|---|---|---|
1️⃣ First Bet | $10 | Loss | -$10 |
2️⃣ Second Bet | $10 | Win | $0 |
3️⃣ Third Bet | $20 | Win | $20 |
4️⃣ Fourth Bet | $40 | Loss | -$20 |
5️⃣ Fifth Bet | $10 | Loss | -$30 |
6️⃣ Sixth Bet | $10 | Win | -$20 |
7️⃣ Seventh Bet | $20 | Win | $0 |
8️⃣ Eighth Bet | $40 | Win | $40 |
9️⃣ Ninth Bet | $10 | Win | $50 |
🔟 Tenth Bet | $20 | Loss | $30 |
1️⃣1️⃣ Eleventh Bet | $10 | Loss | $30 |
1️⃣2️⃣ Twelfth Bet | $10 | Win | $40 |
As you can see, the Paroli system does not involve chasing losses, as you do not increase your stake when you lose. It works best when you achieve short winning streaks of three bets, and it does not leave you facing up to a series of large losing bets, as you keep your stake at one base unit with every loss you suffer.
A Paroli system is often referred to as a reverse Martingale. The Martingale requires the player to do the precise opposite. You double your stake after every loss and go back to the start by betting one base unit after a win. The Martingale is, therefore, a negative progression betting system, while the Paroli system is a positive betting strategy. This style appeals to players who like the sense of building up momentum at a casino table. However, it remains moderately cautious, as you revert to one base unit after winning three in a row rather than chasing a longer streak.
Following a Paroli system provides a casino player with a number of key benefits:
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
The Paroli system does not require a large bankroll. Certain betting systems require you to significantly ramp up your bets when you suffer losses as you bid to hunt down those losses. For example, the Fibonacci system requires you to wager 21 times your base unit if you suffer eight consecutive losses, so you need to set aside a large bankroll in order to cover each bet. | It does not help you capitalise upon winning streaks of more than three bets. For example, if you win five bets in a row when using a Paroli system, you will earn 10 times your base unit in profit. However, if you were to keep doubling after every win, you would earn 31 times your base unit as a profit. It is therefore more conservative than some approaches. |
Table limits do not pose a problem when using a Paroli blackjack system, Paroli system roulette, Paroli baccarat system or Paroli craps system. Sticking with the above example, you can easily exceed the table limits when following the Fibonacci system, as it requires a huge increase in stakes when you go on a losing streak. However, losing steaks are small and unspectacular when following the Paroli betting system. | The accumulation of one-unit losses can eventually exceed the seven-unit winning streaks required to compensate for them. The system only works when you enjoy winning streaks, and that is true of all betting systems. |
It takes advantage of hot streaks. This can be psychological beneficial for a player, and it can increase the enjoyment. A negative progression system like the Martingale or the D’Alembert requires you to increase your stake when you lose, but decrease it or keep it the same when you win. The Paroli system is more aggressive. | Like all strategies, the Paroli system cannot overcome the inherent house edge built into casino games. The chances of landing three wins in a row are therefore slightly lower than the chances of losing streaks. |
The concept of going back to the start after winning three in a row means you will not see your profit wiped out by doubling your money again and losing the fourth bet. This maximum win limit can ensure profitability when things are going in your favour. The Paroli system offers the potential for consistent small wins. | It does not chase losses, so you could be down for a considerable period during your session, even after a winning streak, which can be psychologically difficult for some players. |
It is very easy to enjoy Paroli system roulette. The Fibonacci requires you to follow a relatively complex chain, while the Labouchere system requires ongoing mental calculations, but the Paroli system only involves doubling or returning to one base unit. That means you will not be distracted at the table, so you can concentrate on enjoying the experience, and it cuts out the risk of costly miscalculations. | |
Following a system like the Paroli strategy helps you think about bankroll allocation and management, rather than increasing or decreasing your stake at random, giving you more control and helping you stay at the table longer. |
As one of the leading blackjack betting strategies, the Paroli system works well due to the low house edge that this popular casino game carries. The RTP (return to player) is greater than 99% on Classic Blackjack and other variants of the game, so you stand a roughly 50/50 chance of success when playing a hand.
If you want to play blackjack using the Paroli system, you can start by setting aside a modest bankroll and choosing a base unit. If you decide to make each unit $20, start off by staking $20 on your first hand. Hopefully, it will win, and your next hand will be worth $40. If that wins, too, you increase your bet to $80 for your third hand.
Your next hand will be for $20, regardless of whether you win or lose, as you always revert back to a one unit bet each time you lose or land three consecutive victories when using the Paroli system in blackjack. If you lose your very first hand, just bet $20 again on the next one and keep going until you win a hand, and you are able to double the size of your stake.
The hope is that you will embark on a winning streak of three hands, canceling out any single losses you might have incurred and earning a profit. If you want to learn how to play blackjack and win, the Paroli system could be a positive progression approach that chases short winning runs rather than losses.
Of course, there are ways to earn extra money when using the Paroli system to play blackjack. You might be dealt a blackjack and earn an extra 50% of your stake. You might decide to double down or successfully split aces. This is all built into the RTP, and it does not impact your Paroli system blackjack strategy.
When using the Paroli system in blackjack, you can double your base stake if you win, but just leave any extra winnings in your bankroll. This blackjack strategy is popular among players, as it does not lead to extreme losing streaks, and it means you can generally spend a long time at the table.
Make sure you claim any available online casino promotions, as those bonuses can make the difference between an overall profit and loss when following the Paroli system in blackjack. Paroli system betting cannot cancel out the house edge, but a bonus can really eat into it. Bonuses are not available when playing Paroli system blackjack in a retail casino, so you should always claim them when playing online.
A Paroli system roulette strategy can be applied to side bets where the chances of success are roughly 50/50. The actual chance of winning is slightly lower, as the green zero provides the house with an edge on side wagers. It is generally advisable to stick to European Roulette as opposed to American Roulette unless there is a clear reason for choosing the latter, such as an enticing bonus.
American Roulette has a zero and a double zero, which significantly increases the house edge, so you are better off sticking to European Roulette. French Roulette can be even better, as the la partage rule cuts your losses in half when the ball lands on zero.
You can play Paroli system roulette when better on red or black, odd or even, or 1-18 or 19-36. You would not use Paroli system roulette to bet on individual numbers, corners, dozens, or columns.
This roulette strategy is an alternative to keeping the same stake for each spin or following a strategy like the Martingale, James Bond, D’Alembert, Fibonacci, or Labouchere. It requires you to set a base unit and double it each time you win. If you lose, go back to one unit. If you win three in a row, go back to one unit. It’s as simple as that.
Let’s say you choose $5 as your base unit when playing Paroli system roulette. Start off by betting $5 on red, black, odd, even, 1-18 or 19-36. If it loses, bet $5 again. If it wins, increase your stake to $10 for the next bet.
If that loses, go back to $5. If it wins, double it again to $20. If you win or lose your third bet, you go back to $5, as you always go back to square one when you win three in a row during Paroli system roulette.
Most people stick to the same bet when playing Paroli system roulette. For example, you would bet on black each time or even each time. However, there is nothing stopping you from how you play roulette online – you might go for red, then black, then odd, then red, then even, and so on – as long as you stick to the even chance side bets on the roulette table.
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Baccarat is renowned as a dangerous game for casinos. It carries a low house edge and high table limits. It is extremely popular among Asian high rollers, but its popularity has spread across the world. The live dealer version of baccarat is now a fixture at all the best online live casinos. Players love its high RTP, its speed and the simple rules. So, they are keen to try out a Paroli baccarat strategy.
Paroli system baccarat betting tells the player how much to wager on each hand. It can be applied to a player bet or a banker bet. But, you would not really be advised to use a Paroli baccarat system when betting on the tie. A Paroli baccarat system should be used for even-chance wagers. Many Paroli baccarat strategy fans use it for banker bets, as they have the lowest house edge.
It is very simple to play Paroli system baccarat. You start off with a base unit and wager it on your first hand. If it is $25, you lay down that amount and hope for the best. If you lose, Paroli baccarat system betting requires you to start again and place another $25 bet. You can rack up a number of single losses when applying a Paroli baccarat strategy.
If you win, you double your stake to $25. The next step when playing Paroli system baccarat is to double your stake again when you land two consecutive winners. You always stop at three wins in a row and go back to the start again. The idea behind the Paroli baccarat system is that streaks come in short bursts. So, a Paroli baccarat strategy involves quitting while you are ahead. This way you do not chase losses either.
The Paroli baccarat strategy is just like the Paroli system roulette betting and Paroli system blackjack described earlier in this guide. Its versatility makes it suitable for a wide range of games, and it means you never really have to worry about table limits or wiping out a large bankroll on a lengthy losing streak.
Paroli betting system craps is popular among players as it helps them build up momentum during winning streaks while keeping losing streaks small and unspectacular. Paroli system craps can be applied to the sort of 50/50 bets described in the Paroli system roulette guide above.
You would not use Paroli system craps for bets like hard ways, one roll, place bets, and so on. Paroli betting system craps is designed for 1:1 bets such as pass line or come bet, don’t pass or don’t come bet, field bets on 3,4,9, 10, or 11, and Big 6 or 8. These all have a 50/50 chance of success, although the house edge reduces that slightly.
You then apply the Paroli system craps approach by choosing a base unit and sticking to it. If you go for $10, that will be the amount you wager on the first throw of the dice. You can then ramp up your stake to $20 if it wins or keep it at $10 if it loses. Paroli betting system craps is, therefore, a positive progression approach.
You would up your bet to $40 if you win twice in a row, but you would go back to $10 if you ever win three on the bounce. Always return to one base unit whenever you lose or land three consecutive victories while playing Paroli system craps.
Most players stick to the same wager during Paroli betting system craps, such as passing the line each time, but there is actually nothing to stop you from mixing it up, as long as you opt for the sort of 1:1 bets mentioned above. You now know how to play Paroli system craps, Paroli system roulette, Paroli system baccarat, and Paroli system blackjack, but you can check out our guides to alternatives like the D’Alembert system or the Fibonacci system if you want to try out an alternative.
Check out these other common strategies used by casino players worldwide:
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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