The Labouchere betting system is designed to work with any gambling game, but it fits roulette exceptionally well. The reason why it is so popular amongst roulette players is simple – you don’t need to win more than half of your bets to be profitable.
How it Works
First, you need to set a goal of how much money you would like to win using Labouchere system. As always, use units to count your bankroll, winnings and losses. Therefore, if you would like to win $20 and your single unit is $2; your goal of a game should be a profit of 10 units.
Now, when you have a goal for yourself, you can have to separate it into several smaller segments. For instance, if you want to win 10 units, the scheme could be like this:
2 – 1 – 3 – 2 – 2
It would be a good idea to write down that sequence on a sheet of paper. The paper is needed to keep a track of your progress – every time you win, you will have to cross out the part of the sequence. Once all of the numbers on your paper are crossed out, you will have a profit of 10 units.
We have highlighted that the Labouchere system is the best when applied to roulette games – you will have to make even money bets (red/black, odd/even). You should always bet the number of units that is equal to the sum of the first and last numbers of your line. Let’s take our example (2 – 1 – 3 – 2 – 2) and your unit is $2. So your first bet should be $8 or 4 units, because 2 (first number) + 2 (last number) is 4. If you win the bet, just cross out both of those numbers. At this point your sequence would look like this:
- – 3 – 2
Therefore, your next bet is $6 or 3 units (1+2=3). In case you lose, you have to write the number of units you just lost at the end of the sequence. Like this:
1 – 3 – 2 – 3
If you follow your system, you should play until all numbers are crossed out. Again, that would mean that you have a profit of 10 units.
Pros and Cons of Labouchere System
Probably the biggest advantage of the Labouchere betting system is that you don’t have to win that much to be profitable. Even if your success rate is below 50%, you can still win the game and walk off with your desired profit. Another positive thing – keeping track of your goal and process gives extra motivation. It can also be a good disciplinary tool.
On the other hand, it’s very costly to lose every single game and a long losing streak might cause severe damage to your bankroll. After several losses a single bet won’t bring you back down to your original betting amount – it can take several large bets just to get back at where you were.