Labouchere Casino Betting Strategy
The Labouchere system, also known as the split Martingale or cancellation system, remains one of the world's best-known betting systems.
The system takes its name from Henry Labouchère, an English politician and keen roulette player who lived during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. For a straightforward progressive betting method, you might consider the classic Martingale or the Reverse Martingale. Players prepared to learn a more involved gambling strategy may find the Labouchere system a suitable option.
How the Labouchere Strategy Works
Like the Martingale, the Labouchere strategy is a negative progression system. The difference is that it does not seek to recover earlier losses in one bet. Instead, it aims to recoup them through a series of wins during play.
The Labouchere strategy can be applied to any even money proposition, including baccarat and blackjack, although roulette is its most common setting. It is particularly associated with outside bets such as odd or even and red or black.
The Labouchere strategy has clear weaknesses, yet its supporters believe it can produce a profit even when fewer bets win than lose. That is a claimed outcome rather than a guarantee, and avoiding an extended losing streak is essential to the system's intended success.
The Labouchere Strategy: Step-by-Step
First, choose a realistic amount that you want to win. Then split that target into smaller numbers that add up to the same total. For example, a $100 goal could be divided into 10-10-20-10-10-10-20-5-5. You can arrange the parts in any way you prefer.
Take the number at the far left of the sequence and add it to the number at the far right. In this example, $10 plus $5 produces a $15 wager. When that bet wins, cross out both figures. When it loses, leave the existing figures in place and append the amount wagered to the end of the sequence.
Using the same example, a sequence after a win would appear as follows:
10-10-20-10-10-10-20-5-5
After a loss, the sequence would instead look like this:
10-10-20-10-10-10-20-5-5-15.
Continue in this way until every number has been crossed out. If you complete the sequence, the system is designed to reach the amount selected at the outset. If that does not happen, you can keep playing until you decide to stop or your bankroll is exhausted.
The Labouchere strategy can also be applied to a larger target. In the next example, the player wants to win $1,000.
The player creates this number sequence: 100, 200, 100, 100, 200, 200, 50, 50.
In the first round, the player wagers $150 (100+50) on red and loses. The 150 is therefore added to the end, producing this sequence: 100, 200, 100, 100, 200, 200, 50, 50, 150.
The next wager is $250 (100+150) on red, and it wins. The 100 and 150 are crossed out, leaving the sequence as follows: 200, 100, 100, 200, 200, 50, 50.
The player then places a $250 (200+50) bet on red and wins. Crossing off 200 and 50 leaves 100, 100, 200, 200, 50 in the sequence.
Next, the player bets $150 (100+50) on red and loses, so 150 is appended. The updated sequence is 100, 100, 200, 200, 50, 150.
The player places a $250 bet (100+150) on red and wins. Removing 100 and 150 results in this sequence: 100, 200, 200, 50.
Next comes a $150 bet on red, which wins. The remaining sequence is now 200, 200.
Finally, the player makes a $400 (200+200) bet on red and wins. The sequence is complete, producing the targeted total of $1,000.
Limitations of the Labouchere Strategy
The Labouchere strategy is intended for even bets, so it can be used on red/black, even/odd, or 1-18/19-36. Although the method can also be applied to inside bets, doing so can be considerably riskier. Consider choosing an option with around a 50% chance of winning to improve the prospect of a successful bet.
An extended losing streak remains one of the strategy's major problems. As more numbers are added to the sequence, completing the required cancellations can become increasingly difficult. The casino retains the advantage, and roulette remains a game of chance regardless of the betting system used.
Because a losing streak can make the sequence expand, the Labouchere strategy may be unsuitable for someone with a small bankroll. New casino players, or anyone unwilling to risk losing all their money, may prefer to avoid this system.
Advantages of the Labouchere Strategy
With enough patience and a bankroll able to support the wagers, the Labouchere strategy may finish with the amount the player originally hoped to win. Its flexible sequence also lets the player choose how much risk to accept by changing the figures.
Another stated attraction is that every wager does not have to win for the target to be reached. In theory, a player could lose more bets than win and still finish with a profit, but this possibility is not a promise of results.
Players who are new to the method or are not high rollers can begin with the game's minimum permitted bet. The potential profit will be smaller, but starting modestly can help them understand the process while leaving open the possibility of finishing with more than they began.
