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Roulette Labouchere strategy explained

Playing Roulette

Roulette has been a staple in casinos since the game was introduced in the early 18th century. One of the things that makes this game so appealing is that it is easy to learn. Another nice thing about it is that you have control over the odds in that you can wager on even-money propositions or like Even/Odd and Black/Red, or go for long shots like straight-up bets.

Another great thing about roulette is that it is subject to a variety strategies and betting systems. One such system is called the Labouchere roulette system. This tutorial will explain Labouchere’s roulette system and discuss its merits. After reading this, you will be able to apply this approach and then decide whether it’s something you’d like to integrate into your roulette game.

The history of the Labouchere strategy

Ever since roulette was introduced about 300 years ago, people from all walks of life have been trying to figure out ways to beat the game. One such person was a British guy named Henry Labouchere. He was a controversial political figure, theatre producer, and writer who lived from 1831 until 1912.

Labouchere was born into immense wealth. As such, he had money to burn on pursuits like gambling. He was so fixated on roulette, that he developed his own betting strategy that many roulette players still use today.

The Principle of the Labouchere system

When roulette players think about roulette betting systems, they often think about negative progression systems like Martingale and Fibonacci or positive progression strategies like Paroli. While the Labouchere roulette strategy is technically a negative progression betting system, it is far less risky than most other negative progression strategies.

The Labouchere roulette system is easy to understand. You first come up with a reasonable target profit amount. You then break that amount down into smaller increments. For example, if you set a profit target of, say, $100, then you could break that down as follows:

  • $10, $10, $20, $10, $10, $20, $20
  • $5, $10, $10, $25, $5, $20, $20, $5

It really doesn’t matter how you break it down as long as it adds up to the target amount. Now, the idea is to add the leftmost number and rightmost number together and use that as your stake amount for the first bet. If we set our goal at a $100 profit and break it down as $5, $10, $10, $25, $5, $20, $20, $5, then our first bet would be $10.

That’s the leftmost $5 increment and the rightmost $5 increment. If we win that bet, then we simply scratch those two numbers off the list and then find our next stake by taking the outermost numbers on the remaining list which would be $10 plus $10 which is $20.

Once we have removed all of the numbers from our list, we will have reached our goal. Now, if you lose a bet, then we have to break the lost stake down into two numbers and then add one of the numbers to the left side and one number to the right. As you’ve probably already noticed, it can get a little difficult to keep track of the list of numbers.

Don’t be afraid to write them down and then add or delete as required. If you are familiar with other roulette betting strategies, you can probably see that Labouchere is less risky in that you don’t have to dramatically increase wager amounts which can lead to quickly wiping out your bankroll. Nevertheless, you need to make sure that you have a big enough starting bankroll and a reasonable profit target if you are to maximize the system’s potential.

You should also know that the Labouchere betting system works best with even-money bets like Odd/Even, High/Low, and Black/Red. It isn’t designed for long-odds roulette bets like corner bets, street bets, or straight-up bets. The math just doesn’t work out.

Illustrating the Labouchere roulette strategy

Now that you have a fundamental understanding of how the Labouchere roulette strategy works, let’s put it to use in an imaginary scenario so that we can see it in action. For this example, we will have a starting bankroll of $100. We will also aim for a modest $10 profit which we will break down as follows:

$1, $1, $2, $3, $2, $1

Finally, we will keep this simple by only wagering on Odd outside bets which offer even money payouts.

To find the first wager amount, we take the $1 stake on the far left of the list and add it to the $1 stake on the far right of the list for a total bet amount of $2. We place our bet and it wins. We can now scratch those two integers from our list leaving us with:

$1, $2, $3, $2

So, what will our next stake amount be? If you guessed that it will be $3, then you are correct. It’s $3 because that is the sum of the two outermost numbers on the list which are $1 and $2. We place our $3 bet and, as luck would have it, we win again. We can now get rid of those two numbers from our list which leaves us with $2 and $3 for a total of $5.

Fortunately, the roulette gods are on our side and an odd number shows up for the third round in a row. With this victory, we have crossed all of the numbers off the list and met our target of a $10 profit. We can now walk away a winner or set a new profit target and begin the process again.

OK. We hear you. You’re wondering what happens if you lose a bet. After all, it’s bound to happen. So, let’s say that we want to set a new profit target and lake a new list. Because we already have a $10 gain from the first cycle, we’ll set our new goal at $20 breaking down as follows:

$1, $2, $3, $3, $3, $3, $2, $2, $1, $1

You know by now that we will kick off the next betting cycle with a $2 wager. That accounts for the $1 on the far left and the $1 on the far right on the list. We begin this session with a win which means our list of numbers is now:

$2, $3, $3, $3, $3, $2, $2, $1

Now we stake our next bet. If you haven’t figured it out yet, it will be a $3 wager. We keep rolling as we win yet another bet leaving us with:

$3, $3, $3, $3, $2, $2

In keeping with the Labouchere roulette strategy, our next bet will be $5. However, the gambling gods decide to hand us a loss. What do we do now? We have to add that lost $5 wager to our list by breaking it down into two wager amounts and adding them to the list. In this case, we will break the $5 down as $2 and $3. We’ll add the $2 portion to the left side and the $3 portion to the right. Our list will now look like this:

$2, $3, $3, $3, $3, $2, $2, $3

Things don’t go any better this round. We place our $5 bet and it loses. Now we need to break down that $5 into two portions and add it to the list. Just to change things up, we decide to break it down into equal $2.50 portions. Our list now looks like this:

$2.50, $2, $3, $3, $3, $3, $2, $2, $3, $2.50

You should now have a pretty good idea of how the Labouchere roulette strategy works. If we were to win the next bet, then we would scratch off the outer two $2.50 bets from the list. If we were to lose, then we’d have to add another integer to the left, and one to the right. You should also be able to see a couple of pitfalls with this system.

Does the Labouchere strategy work?

Like any other roulette system, the Labouchere approach can work, but the conditions must be ideal. Winning your first couple of bets gives you a good head start, but taking too many losses at any point will put users well behind the eight ball. The key to successfully using Labouchere is understanding that every betting cycle requires players to end up with a few more wins than losses. Labouchere certainly doesn’t offer any guarantees.

Pros and Cons of the Labouchere Roulette Strategy

The Labouchere roulette strategy has a lot of appeal. As opposed to most other negative progression approaches, Labouchere doesn’t require bettors to make significant bet increases every time you lose. In fact, the maximum wager amount will never exceed the total of the two highest integers on the list. In our above example, the maximum wager couldn’t possibly exceed $6.

This leads us to another advantage that Labouchere has over other popular systems like Martingale. It eliminates the possibility of exceeding the table’s maximum bet limit. That is a major drawback to Martingale, Fibonacci, and many others.

On the flip side, no roulette betting system can guarantee the safety of your bankroll. That includes Labouchere. However, you can go bust a lot faster using most other negative progression strategies. Losing your entire bankroll using the Labouchere approach would entail a very long stretch of bad luck.

Alas, this system does have a few downsides. As you may have noticed, you have to have a lot of patience with it. Yes, you could get lucky and meet your profit objective within a few rounds. Just remember that every loss adds to the list and moves your target a bit further away. As mentioned earlier, it’s a good idea to jot down the numbers using a pen and paper or a mobile device. It’s nearly impossible to keep track of an ever-changing list of numbers in your head.

You must also consider that those who use the Labouchere system for roulette can’t recover their losses with a single win. Of course, this is one of the main appeals of the more aggressive and progressive betting systems like Martingale.

With those, you can lose a bunch of consecutive rounds, but it only takes one correct bet to get it all back. With Labouchere, getting your head back above water can be a grind of epic proportions.

Pros:

  • Labouchere doesn’t require players to increase their stake sizes. The max bet amount will never exceed the two highest integers on your list.
  • Your wager size will never exceed the table limit allowing you to continue with the system.
  • The Labouchere system is easy to understand.
  • You can quickly achieve your target profit amount in just a few rounds if things go smoothly.

Cons:

  • You won’t recover your losses in a single spin. You must grind it out slowly.
  • A betting cycle can go on forever. I you are cursed with a few losses out of the gate, you may never be able to complete the cycle.
  • Hard to keep track of the required wager amounts without pen and paper or an electronic device.

Tips and tricks

Perhaps the best tip we can tell you is to find a way to keep track of the ever-changing list. It’s simply asking too much for players to keep on top of it without the help of a pen and paper or something to that effect. It’s also a very good idea to test the system using a free roulette game at one of out recommended online casinos. This doesn’t require you to use real money.

And while you’re at it, why not try experimenting with the Labouchere method? Get imaginative and tinker with the formula. This can add an extra element of fun to the game. Needless to say, you should always remain within the boundaries of your bankroll. Make sure that the desired win amount is in line with what you have in your pockets.

Summary

Now that you are familiar with how this system works, it’s up to you to decide whether it’s something you want to try the next time you play roulette. The Labouchere system won’t give you the same type of adrenaline rush as other riskier systems like Martingale.

This means it’s better suited for roulette players who prefer to take a more measured and conservative approach to their betting. As long as you have the patience for long betting cycles and grinding it out, you should have a lot of fun with this strategy. You’ll hopefully make a bit of money too.

FAQs

You sure can. Simply visit one of our preferred online casinos and select the demo version of the roulette variant you want to play. You can then use play money to test the Labouchere system or any other system as much as you want without having to risk real money.

The great thing about Labouchere is that it’s based on what you want to win. You choose the amount you want to win. Of course, you have to be aware that you can lose money too. Please play responsibly.

Each roulette system has its pros and cons. It’s really up to the individual to weigh the advantages and drawbacks and go with the one that suits them best. If you want to be uber-cautious with your bankroll, then Labouchere is a good system to start with.

The Labouchere betting strategy can be applied to many other forms of gambling. The key qualifier is that the wagers offer near-even money. This applies to most betting strategies. As such, you can use it in games like blackjack, baccarat, and craps. You can even apply Labouchere to sports betting.

A negative progression betting system is a wagering strategy that involved raising the stakes after a loss and lowering the stakes following a win. For instance, the Martingale system requires bettors to double their stakes after a loss and then return to the base stake amount after a win.

If you use the Labouchere method, you start by setting your desired win amount. If you achieve this win amount, then you have completed the betting cycle. You can walk away with your winnings, or start a new betting cycle by creating a fresh list.

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