Oscar’s Grind Betting System Breakdown and How to Apply it
Oscar’s Grind, also known as Oscar’s System and Hoyle’s Press, is a positive progression betting strategy that repeats itself when it succeeds. If that sounds confusing, don’t worry, as we’ll outline how it works and how to use the Oscar’s Grind strategy to play games like blackjack and roulette.
What is the Oscar’s Grind System?
Allan Wilson introduced the Oscar’s Grind system in 1965 in the Casino Gambler’s Guide. The strategy involves combining losing streaks and winning streaks in every session, and players must take advantage of the latter to maximize their returns.
The Basics of Oscar’s Grind
The Oscar’s Grind strategy is best used for even or near-even money wagers. You can find these in most top casino games, including the Red/Black in roulette and Banker/Player in baccarat.
- Create a unit stake, such as $10
- Place an even money wager
- If you lose, keep betting the same stake
- When you win, increase to two units ($20)
- If you win after many losses but are still heavily in the red, increase to three units ($30)
- Set your unit stake so that you will end up with $10 in profit
- If you achieve your goal, start the string again
Example of the Oscar’s Grind in Action
To understand how this wager works, let’s suppose that you’re playing a game of roulette and wagering on Red or Black:
- Bet one unit and lose (total = -1)
- Bet one unit and lose (total = -2)
- Bet one unit and lose (total = -3)
- Bet one unit and lose (total = -4)
- Bet one unit and win (total = -3)
- Bet two units and lose (total = -5)
- Bet two units and lose (total = -7)
- Bet two units and win (total = -5)
- Bet three units and win (total = -2)
- Bet three units and win (total = +1)
- End string and start another
If the penultimate bet in the above string were placed while we were in the red by one unit, we would have wagered two units instead of three, as the goal is to end on +1.
Oscar’s Grind Roulette Strategy
If you’re familiar with Martingale, often called the best mathematical roulette strategy, it should be easy to transition into the Oscar’s Grind system. Rather than increasing your wager when you lose, increase it when you win, keeping your initial unit stake in mind and always striving to reach that one unit profit for each string.
You can also use the examples above, as these are based on roulette wagers. Ideally, you should stick with French or European Roulette and use even money wagers like Odd/Even, Black/Red, and High/Low.
Oscar’s Grind Blackjack Strategy
Oscar’s Grind may not be the best blackjack betting strategy, but you might not think that way if your luck is in and you hit a winning streak.
To adapt this strategy for blackjack, just use the examples above for a main game of blackjack. Don’t be tempted to increase your wager at any point, and incorporate basic blackjack strategy to increase your chances.
Pros and Cons of the Oscar Grind System
One of Oscar Grind’s biggest benefits is that it’s very easy to follow. You don’t need to do complex calculations; you can simply focus on chasing that one unit profit and then starting over.
The biggest downside is that it’s somewhat of a grind, as the name suggests. Based on the example above, it may not seem like it, but you’ll change your mind when you hit a significant losing streak and need to chase profits by wagering the same amount (often on the same bet) every single time.
Conclusion: Using the Oscar’s Grind Strategy
The Oscar Grind strategy is not perfect, but nothing is. What matters is that it’s an easy-to-follow strategy that applies to most games. It offers something a little different from Martingale and other strategies, and it’s worth considering it the next time you sit down at the card tables.
More Games Common Queries
What is the Oscar’s Grind strategy?
It is a strategy whereby you create a unit stake and then bet on even money wagers, sticking with the same bet when you lose and increasing it when you win to attain a profit of one unit.
What is the difference between Oscar's Grind and D’Alembert?
D’Alembert works by increasing your wager when you lose and decreasing it when you win. Oscar’s Grind keeps losing wagers the same and increases winning ones. Both focus on even money bets.
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