ryanp
Any thoughts on whether or not one should use Oscar's Grind while playing Blackjack? Is a good way of making extra money in the short run. However, in the long run, it seems as though it could possibly lead you to financial disaster if you end up betting, say $1,000 per hand.
  1. The major advantage of Oscar Grind is the discipline and control, which in turn keeps your balance in check for prolonged time periods – particularly useful when sitting at the Blackjack table.
  2. In my continued look at FREE betting systems, my next one shall be Oscar's Grind.Please click the link for an introduction and the rules, for now. At this point I'd like to throw it open for general comments on Oscar's Grind, like reason one might use it, user experience, pros & cons, and any comments on my page.

Oscar System Blackjack – Summary From all the methods we reviewed here on Online Blackjack Explorer, Oscar’s Grind system is definitely the most promising and the only one that can, unlike Martingale, work on a long run (or a long series of short runs).

billryan
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I used a modified Oscar's Grind for years. I'm not sure how you'd ever get to $1,000 a hand unless you started at $100 and even then betting ten units is extremely unusual.
Because of doubles and splits, using a straight Oscar doesn't work on BJ.
I have no idea if my OG results were any better than flat betting did. I do know getting a BJ with a big bet out feels better than a minimum one, but in the long run means nothing.
ryanp
Thanks for the info. My thinking on this is this. Let's say that you start with $10 bets. Then you get on a losing streak somewhere. Each time you do get a win, you increase your bet by +1. But let's say that you get mostly losses and just a few spotty wins here and there. As a result, you get way, way in the negative. That will add up to your betting units being very significant after awhile as you never really get back to '0' or $10 won.
billryan
How are your results if you were flat betting in the same scenario?
FleaStiff
With 'grind' in its name would anyone ever have fun doing it?????
Tanko
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...But let's say that you get mostly losses and just a few spotty wins here and there. As a result, you get way, way in the negative. That will add up to your betting units being very significant .....

Oscar
That's exactly what happens when using OG.
Oscar, if he existed at all, used it when playing craps because the Pass Line and Don’t Pass bets win 49.3% of the time, vs only 47.5% for Blackjack using perfect basic strategy.
He started with a $1 unit, and said he never lost. If that is true, he didn’t play long enough.
Play long enough and the OG bet size grow to hundreds of units.
I’ve done sims on WinCraps, where the bet size grew to more than 1,000 units.
Click the Games link above to try it.
ryanp
Probably you would lose far, far less in the long run. Oscar's Grind seems to be successful when you get on a long winning streak. Or if you get mostly wins with a few losses here and there. If you don't limit your highest bet, you probably will find yourself betting way, way more than you would normally bet.
ryanp
definitely true
Tanko
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If you don't limit your highest bet, you probably will find yourself betting way, way more than you would normally bet.


If you limit your highest bet, you are back to flat betting, but at a higher bet level.
This article was originally a post written by a member on the Gamblers Glen forum twelve years ago.
Instead of limiting bet size, the author preferred a loss limit.
At the time this was written, there were still a lot of low limit single deck games with liberal rules available for the author to play.
Try It Heremichael99000
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Oscar's Grind Blackjack Forum

Oscar's Grind seems to be successful when you get on a long winning streak.


Most systems are.
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If you are on a quest for the perfect betting system that will not only up your game but also make you the talk of the town and an absolute Blackjack legend, look no further – you journey ends right here, at least until someone develops a system that will surpass the 99.9% success rate of Oscar’s Grind Betting method.

Extremely popular among Blackjack players, the system was originally designed for the game of craps, and it represents a Positive Progression betting strategy introduced to a gambling scene by a craps player known as Oscar. According to some rumors, “Oscar” is actually an alias assumed by a group of players who took it upon themselves to perfect the system and make it suitable for those who are patient and disciplined enough to go after smaller but consistent winnings.

How to Implement Oscar’s Grind Betting System

Unlike some Negative Progression systems that are extremely complex to master, Positive Betting principles are much more easier to implement; most of all Oscar Grind, which not only falls under exceptionally efficient betting strategies but also has a rather straightforward and simple structure, making it a painless lesson to learn.

Oscar's Grind Blackjack Betting System

The system starts with the player betting the minimum unit. If the hand is successful and the player wins, the follow-up bet will be increased by the same amount (each increase is by one unit only) and the stake doubled. The losing hand, on the other hand, will not provoke any betting increase and the player will continue gambling the previous wager amount until the next winning hand.

Oscar's Grind Blackjack Success

The crucial element of Oscar Grind Betting System is setting the goal at winning only one betting unit and never going over. For example, if the Blackjack session had the following pattern (L being a losing hand and W a winning hand) the player is down one unit and the stake size is two units:

Oscar's Grind System

L – L – W– L – W – W – L – W – L – L – W – L

Although the main principle of the system is to raise the bet during the winning streak, increasing the bet by three units would potentially result in the profit of two units, which disrupts the principles of Oscar Grind Betting system. At this point, the player has to make sure the profit does not go over one unit and the stake needs to be kept at only two units.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Oscar Grind Betting System

The major advantage of Oscar Grind is the discipline and control, which in turn keeps your balance in check for prolonged time periods – particularly useful when sitting at the Blackjack table. Losing a substantial amount of money is practically impossible with this strategy unless you are tempted to cheat the system and go for winnings over 1 unit.

On the other hand, time and patience that should be invested in Oscar Grind will not appeal to all Blackjack players. The payouts are moderate (unless you hit a long winning streak) and the pace is slow and steady. Even so, combining this particular strategy with card counting and other basic Blackjack tactics can produce hours of (profitable) fun, despite its low intensity and methodical approach.