Labouchere System

The Labouchere system is a negative progressive gambling structure that also is referred to as the cancellation system or split martingale. It can be applied to different casino games but is best known for being used as a Labouchere roulette system.

This is how the Labouchere betting system works: A player should decide how much money they are satisfied winning and write down a list of numbers that total to the predetermined amount. Then, with each wager, the player bets an amount equal to the sum of the first and last numbers on the list. In case there is only one number left then that number is the amount of the bet. In the event of a win, the two numbers are removed from the list; a loss requires the amount lost to be added to the end of the list.

Here is an example of the Labouchere gambling system: Let’s say we are content with winning 10 USD. Using the sum of numbers 1-2-3-4, we would start a game wagering the total of the two outside numbers; 1 +4 = 5. In a loss, the 5 is added to the end of the list. In this example the next wager would be 1 + 5 = 6. If you win on this bet of 6, then the 1 and 5 are crossed off.

The Labouche betting system is operated like this until the list of numbers has been crossed off the list (winning the desired amount), or the player is out of money. The premise of the Labouchere system is that by crossing out two numbers after a win and adding one number for a loss, the player can win a set amount without needing to win as much as expected.

Labouchere roulette strategy should be employed on even money bets like even/odd, red/black and 1-18/19-36. Keep in mind that these types of bets on the roulette table slightly offset because the odds are not 50/50 due to the “0” and “00.” While the Labouchere gambling system works best on roulette, it can also be used on blackjack, baccarat and other games that offer odds that are close to 50/50.