Abstract. The variational method in oscillator representation with individual parameters for each Jacobi coordinate is applied to the non-relativistic calculation of the ground state energy of a number of three-particle Coulomb systems, consisting of two identical particles and a different one. The accuracy and convergence rate of the calculations in the constructed oscillator basis are studied up to a total of 28 oscillator quanta. The results are compared with those of the traditional approach using only one such nonlinear variational parameter. The method with individual parameters for Jacobi coordinates is found to possess a number of advantages as compared to the traditional approach.