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Classic Betting Systems:
The Labouchere System
The Labouchere System
The Labouchere System also called the cancellation system in
some texts, is another outside, even money betting system. It is
thought to have originated from the Queen Victoria era, when her
finance minister, named Labouchere, had a taste for gambling. To
implement this system you must have pen and paper. Start with two
or three numbers. Write them down. Your first bet is the sum of the
first and last numbers of the series you wrote down. If you win, cross
off the first and last numbers that you wrote down. If you lose, write
the lost amount on the end of the series. Once all of the numbers are
cancelled out, the series is over.
For example: Write down the numbers 1 - 2- -3
Your first bet will be the sum of the first and last numbers in the series.
Therefore your first bet is 4 units.
Now, you lost the first wager, so you add the 4 to the end of the
series.
Now your number series looks like the following: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
Your next bet will again be the sum of the first and last numbers, or 5
units.
This time you win. So, you cross off, or cancel, the 1 and 4.
This leaves the 2 and 3, so your next bet is the sum of the two
numbers, or 5 again.
Unfortunately you lost again, so add the 5 to the end of the series.
It now looks like: 2 - 3 - 5, and your next wager is up to 7 units.
Luck comes your way and you win the 7 unit bet.
Now the series is down to one number, 3. So, you bet 3 and win.
Cross off the 3 and you have completed the Labouchere series.
How much did you win? Add your original numbers together and you
have the number of units you won - 6.
That's how Labouchere is played. One word of caution: the bets can
escalate if you lose several in a row, so be well funded. Second word of
caution, don't be so aggressive that you start with a long series of
numbers. A short series will be manageable, and hopefully the
maximum wager will be within your range. My demonstration showed
how a 1 - 2 - 3 series grew to a 7 unit bet with just a couple of losses.
Marten Jensen in Secrets of Winning Roulette, 2002, suggested you
start with 1 - 1, 1 - 2, 1 - 1 - 1, or 1 - 2 - 2. More aggressive starting
series could be 1 - 2 - 3, or 1 - 2 - 3 - 4.
The good thing about Labouchere is it will show a profit with more
losses than wins as you cancel two numbers when you win, and only
add one when you lose.
Reverse Labouchere is started just like Labouchere, with a
starting series of numbers. This time, however, when you win you add
the bet to the end of the series. When you lose, cross off the first and
last numbers. This system is designed to escalate wins when a long
series of wins occurs. Once all of the numbers are crossed off, the
series is over and you will have lost the total of the series in units. You
should be well capitalized as you will have more losses than wins and
therefore be cancelling out your series quite often. If, however, you
have a period of greater number of wins than losses, and your bets
escalate, you will be riding a wave. You will have to decide when to get
off and start a new series. Perhaps you could set a point at which you
will stop the series and reset before you lose back to the house your
good fortune.
You might try this on your computer first before you take it to the
casino. Just for fun, I'm going to look at it here and see what happens
to a series with an equal number of wins and losses.
I'll start with the 1 - 2 - 3 series I used above. If all goes well, I'll only
lose 6 units.
My first bet is 4 units. I win, so I add 4 to the end.
Now my series is 1 - 2 - 3 - 4, so my next bet is 5 units.
I lose, so I cancel the 1 and 4, leaving the 2 - 3. My next bet is 5.
I won. I add this number to the 2 - 3, making my series 2 - 3 - 5.
I won again, so my bet (7) is added to the end of the line.
My series is 2 - 3 - 5 - 7, so my next bet is 9 units.
I lost the 9, so the 7 and 2 are cancelled out, leaving 3 - 5.
Next bet - 8. I am up 2 units right now. If I win the next bet, I'll be
up ten units, but if I lose, I will be down 6 units as predicted. I lose,
and am down 6 units as predicted. I should have quit while ahead.
But if I had won the 8 units, that might have been a good place to
restart. Even if I had lost the next series, 6 units, I would still be up
by 2 units.
That's how Reverse Labouchere works. It requires more wins than
losses, and that is a rare occurrence. I guess it all goes back to that
old saying, "Quit while you are ahead."
some texts, is another outside, even money betting system. It is
thought to have originated from the Queen Victoria era, when her
finance minister, named Labouchere, had a taste for gambling. To
implement this system you must have pen and paper. Start with two
or three numbers. Write them down. Your first bet is the sum of the
first and last numbers of the series you wrote down. If you win, cross
off the first and last numbers that you wrote down. If you lose, write
the lost amount on the end of the series. Once all of the numbers are
cancelled out, the series is over.
For example: Write down the numbers 1 - 2- -3
Your first bet will be the sum of the first and last numbers in the series.
Therefore your first bet is 4 units.
Now, you lost the first wager, so you add the 4 to the end of the
series.
Now your number series looks like the following: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
Your next bet will again be the sum of the first and last numbers, or 5
units.
This time you win. So, you cross off, or cancel, the 1 and 4.
This leaves the 2 and 3, so your next bet is the sum of the two
numbers, or 5 again.
Unfortunately you lost again, so add the 5 to the end of the series.
It now looks like: 2 - 3 - 5, and your next wager is up to 7 units.
Luck comes your way and you win the 7 unit bet.
Now the series is down to one number, 3. So, you bet 3 and win.
Cross off the 3 and you have completed the Labouchere series.
How much did you win? Add your original numbers together and you
have the number of units you won - 6.
That's how Labouchere is played. One word of caution: the bets can
escalate if you lose several in a row, so be well funded. Second word of
caution, don't be so aggressive that you start with a long series of
numbers. A short series will be manageable, and hopefully the
maximum wager will be within your range. My demonstration showed
how a 1 - 2 - 3 series grew to a 7 unit bet with just a couple of losses.
Marten Jensen in Secrets of Winning Roulette, 2002, suggested you
start with 1 - 1, 1 - 2, 1 - 1 - 1, or 1 - 2 - 2. More aggressive starting
series could be 1 - 2 - 3, or 1 - 2 - 3 - 4.
The good thing about Labouchere is it will show a profit with more
losses than wins as you cancel two numbers when you win, and only
add one when you lose.
Reverse Labouchere is started just like Labouchere, with a
starting series of numbers. This time, however, when you win you add
the bet to the end of the series. When you lose, cross off the first and
last numbers. This system is designed to escalate wins when a long
series of wins occurs. Once all of the numbers are crossed off, the
series is over and you will have lost the total of the series in units. You
should be well capitalized as you will have more losses than wins and
therefore be cancelling out your series quite often. If, however, you
have a period of greater number of wins than losses, and your bets
escalate, you will be riding a wave. You will have to decide when to get
off and start a new series. Perhaps you could set a point at which you
will stop the series and reset before you lose back to the house your
good fortune.
You might try this on your computer first before you take it to the
casino. Just for fun, I'm going to look at it here and see what happens
to a series with an equal number of wins and losses.
I'll start with the 1 - 2 - 3 series I used above. If all goes well, I'll only
lose 6 units.
My first bet is 4 units. I win, so I add 4 to the end.
Now my series is 1 - 2 - 3 - 4, so my next bet is 5 units.
I lose, so I cancel the 1 and 4, leaving the 2 - 3. My next bet is 5.
I won. I add this number to the 2 - 3, making my series 2 - 3 - 5.
I won again, so my bet (7) is added to the end of the line.
My series is 2 - 3 - 5 - 7, so my next bet is 9 units.
I lost the 9, so the 7 and 2 are cancelled out, leaving 3 - 5.
Next bet - 8. I am up 2 units right now. If I win the next bet, I'll be
up ten units, but if I lose, I will be down 6 units as predicted. I lose,
and am down 6 units as predicted. I should have quit while ahead.
But if I had won the 8 units, that might have been a good place to
restart. Even if I had lost the next series, 6 units, I would still be up
by 2 units.
That's how Reverse Labouchere works. It requires more wins than
losses, and that is a rare occurrence. I guess it all goes back to that
old saying, "Quit while you are ahead."