The Labouchere roulette system is one of the most potentially rewarding strategies for a roulette player. Learn how to plan your roulette bets ahead and mitigate losses by using the complex Labouchere progression.
- How the Labouchere Strategy Works
- Labouchere Progression Sequence
- The Labouchere Betting System in Action
- How to prevent an extended losing streak
- Pros and Cons of the Labouchere System
- Variations to the Labouchere System
- The Labouchere Compared to Other Strategies
How the Labouchere Strategy Works
The main advantage of this system is that you set an end goal for your session. By using a Labouchere progression, UK players get to plan their steps ahead and may have an easier time reaching the target.
In theory, if you stick to your progression, you may reach your goal even if you win less than half of the bets in your sequence.
You can choose any progression you want! However, the sum amount of all the steps should equal your desired profit. Before jumping into complex progressions, UK players should start with the Martingale system to get a feel of how roulette progressions work.
Strategic roulette progressions carry an inherent risk. Remember they are based on even-money bets. But such bets do not offer perfect odds because of the number zero. Thus, when a losing streak extends for too long, your bet size may exceed your available funds, your bankroll may drain and you’ll be forced to stop.
Labouchere Progression Sequence
Progression example
- You first need to decide upon an end-goal. Ask yourself how much you’d like to win.
- To make things simple, in our example, we would like to win £10.
- Take that number and split it into smaller units, all of which add up to your end goal.
- The number sequence is up to you, and it can look something like this: 1-1-1-2-2-1-2.
- You start betting by taking the leftmost and rightmost numbers and adding them up.
- In our sequence, the two numbers add up to 3.
- If that bet wins, we take the two numbers out of the sequence and repeat the step.
- However, if the bet loses, you add the number 3 to the rightmost side of the sequence.
Bets for the Labouchere Roulette System
This roulette strategy works with even money bets. It is, in fact, a top red and black roulette strategy.
Wagers such as red/black, high/low, and even/odd will return the best results. UK players can apply the Labouchere system with any casino game that gives you approximately 50% odds of winning. While you could play inside bets as well, the risk rises massively. Stick to bets that offer close to 50% winning chances.
The Man That Gave the Labouchere System its Name
Back in the 19th century, there was a British politician by the name of Henry Labouchere. He was known as a Liberal and later Radical politician serving in the House of Commons.
Labouchere rose to prominence through journalism. He devoted his periodical Truth to exposing large scale fraud and was co-owner of the Daily News.
During the Franco-German war of 1870-1871, the journalist would send dispatches from a besieged Paris – via balloon – to an actress named Henrietta Hodson, quickly amassing a following of readers in his home country.
In 1872, the letters would be published in a separate volume.
An avid supporter of the abolition of the House of Lords, his politics could be described as anti-imperialist. Outside of politics, he developed his own betting system for roulette, which carries its name to this day.
Other Names for the Roulette Labouchere Strategy
- Split Martingale
- American progression
- Cancellation system
The Labouchere Betting System in Action
To showcase the betting system, we will take a scenario in which we use a bankroll of £100 and showcase the outcome for a betting sequence that aims at a £8 profit. New UK players may consider such profits trivial. However, seasoned pros know that an 8% profit is not to be neglected.
Labouchere Roulette Strategy for Even-result Scenarios
| Round results | Current sequence | Current bet | Bankroll |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1-1-2-2-1-1 | £2 | £100 |
| Loss | 1-1-2-2-1-1-2 | £3 | £95 |
| Win | 1-1-2-2-1-1-2-3 | £4 | £99 |
| Win | 1-2-2-1-1-2 | £3 | £102 |
| Loss | 1-2-2-1-1 | £2 | £100 |
| Win | 1-2-2-1-1-2 | £3 | £103 |
| Win | 2-2-1-1 | £3 | £106 |
| Loss | 2-1 | £3 | £103 |
| Win | 2-1-3 | £5 | £108 |
The desired profit of £8 was generated after 5 wins and 4 losses.
Roulette Labouchere Strategy for Winning Streaks
| Round results | Current sequence | Current bet | Bankroll |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1-1-2-2-1-1 | £2 | £100 |
| Win | 1-2-2-1 | £2 | £102 |
| Win | 2-2 | £4 | £104 |
| / | / | / | £108 |
As you can see, getting just 3 bets right in a row cleared out the sequence really fast. The rules state that when there’s a single number in your sequence, the stake will become that number. Alternatively, suppose the progression gets cleared out before you reach your target. In that case, you re-start with the same sequence.
Labouchere System Roulette Results for Losing Streaks
| Round results | Current sequence | Current bet | Bankroll |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1-1-1-2-2-1-2-3 | £3 | -£3 |
| Loss | 1-1-1-2-2-1-2-3-4 | £4 | -£7 |
| Loss | 1-1-1-2-2-1-2-3-4-5 | £5 | -£12 |
| Win | 1-1-2-2-1-2-3-4 | £6 | 0 |
As you can see, if you are going through a losing streak, applying the progression can get you back on track eventually.
Bonus play scenario
This scenario applies best to gambling in roulette with a no deposit bonus. Be aware that some casinos restrict the placement of even-money bets when playing with bonus funds. At casinos where even-money propositions are not limited for bonus play, the wagering contribution for roulette might be less significant.
How to prevent an extended losing streak
- Stop betting haphazardly and create a gambling budget
- Claim a good-value roulette bonus to give your bankroll a boost before you commit to play roulette for real money online
- Divide the newly obtained bankroll by 100
- The resulting amount will be your base betting unit
- Perform the necessary operations (higher/lower stakes) with that betting unit in mind
- In other words, if your bankroll is £100, adjust your Labouchere sequence for £1 units
- Applying these steps will likely mitigate major losses, but no system is perfect
- Bankroll management also involves taking breaks when things don’t seem to go your way
- You should also keep your money safe by avoiding scams and betting exclusively on trusted UK online casinos
Pros and Cons of the Labouchere System
Pros
- UK players start by setting up a defined target profit
- You create your own sequence of numbers amounting to your target
- Getting to your desired goal will take fewer wins than playing with a flat stake
- One win can turn the tide in the sequence
What is a flat stake?
When you keep betting the same amount each round, you’re said to be betting a flat stake. Contrarily, Labouchere and Martingale progressions both involve adjusting your stake to account for previous losses.
Cons
- A win isn’t guaranteed
- It can be hard to keep up if you are on a tight budget
Variations to the Labouchere System
Apart from the regular Labouchere roulette strategy, there are other variants of the system. Take a look at the reverse system and how other variations work.
The Reverse Labouchere Roulette System
In the standard version, you gradually increase the wager when you lose and take out two numbers in the sequence when you win.
With the reverse version, you take out two numbers of the sequence when you lose and add a sum of the two leftmost and rightmost numbers.
The thought behind the reverse strategy is that your losses won’t be significant, but your wins can increase.
The Labouchere roulette system, and any other roulette progression, does nothing to overcome the house edge. That doesn’t make them utterly useless, though.
Variations on the Labouchere Sequence
The system gives you complete freedom when it comes to creating the sequence.
Once you establish your target, the sequence may look however you like.
Here are some examples of a sequence with the end goal being £10.
Labouchere progression example 1
2-1-2-1-2-1-1
Labouchere progression example 2
1-1-1-1-1-2-2-1
Labouchere progression example 3
1-2-1-2-2-2
As far as the sequence total sum is £10, you can make any combination you want for the Labouchere roulette strategy.
The Johnson Progression
UK players on a tight budget might have a hard time keeping up with a losing streak. Here, the Johnson progression comes into play. It is a less risky version of the system.
The sequence is as follows
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1
The initial bet will be £1, and if you encounter a few losses in a row, the following bets shall also be £1. This is an interesting sequence that tailors to beginner gamblers. A downside of the Johnson progression is that your bankroll won’t change a lot if you get a bet right. UK players need an extended winning streak for sensible profits.
Splitting on a Loss
A losing streak can go pretty bad, making every next bet draw more of your bankroll. If you want to avoid progressively larger losses, there is a way you can use the strategy to your advantage.
Let’s make things easier to understand
- Suppose you had a few bad outcomes.
- Your sequence looks something like this: 23-37-44-56-63-70-87.
- The sum of this sequence is 380.
- So, to avoid placing high bets, you can downgrade it into several smaller sequences.
- These can look however you want as long as their total sum is equal to your initial sequence.
We can turn the above example into three separate sequences, as an alternative way toward our end goal.
- 10-15-25-30-35-45-50-60 (sum=270)
- 20-20-20-20 (sum=80)
- 5-5-5-5-10 (sum=30)
Once you have your smaller sequences in place, you start betting to clear the first, and then you move on to the next.
The Labouchere Compared to Other Strategies
| Strategy | Advantage | Disadvantage |
|---|---|---|
| Labouchere | You get to create your own sequence | If you are on a tight budget, a losing streak can be hard to follow |
| Reverse Labouchere | In the case of a losing streak, your losses won’t be so great compared to the normal version | Since you increase your bets every time you win, one loss can be devastating |
| Martingale | Best for high-rollers with sizable bankrolls | With an extended losing streak, bets may become extremely high |
| Reverse Martingale (Paroli) | A safer route for when you lose is to return to your initial stake | Since you double your stake after a win, a loss can quickly take away your profits |
| D’Alembert | In case of a winning streak, your stake diminishes, resulting in manageable losses when they occur | In case of an extended losing streak, every next bet increases, and may become hard to keep up |
| Fibonacci | The sequence can yield quicker profits if the first bet is a win | Due of the nature of the progression, a losing streak can get out of hand in just a few bets |
No matter which system or strategy you choose to incorporate into your game session, there is no guarantee that you will end up at your desired goal. None of these strategies is perfect, and none will bypass the house edge completely.
