So for example, we have decided to choose the Labouchere line: -
To work out the bet we sum the two outside numbers
So the first amount wagered is 5 units. If we lose then we add 5 to our labouchere line and
work out the next wager amount.
The next bet will be 6 units. Lets continue our example for another the next three spins and
see how to adjust our labouchere line.
Finishing a line can be quite satisfying (especially when there has been quite a struggle back
and forth) and is one the personal reasons I quite like the system, it adds a further element
of fun to your roulette game. Once you finish a line you can start a new line.
Designing your own Labouchere Line
In designing a labouchere line keep in mind that the sum of the line is the amount of money
you profit when you finish the line. So in our previous example of 1 2 3 4, we know that if we
finish this line our profit will be 10 units ( 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10 ). Also the larger the numbers in
the line, the faster you bet sizes will increase in the face of a losing streak. So we could have
another labouchere line that also had a potential profit of 10 units with, 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1.
To work out the balance you need to consider that a shorter line with large numbers is
quicker to finish (since you only need a relatively small winning streak) but you will risk facing
quite large bets and at the other extreme a long line with small numbers will take a long time
to finish but you will not have to face big bets. So you need come up with your own balance
of line length and size of numbers against how much profit you want to aim for.
In coming up with a Labouchere line you need to make sure that the sum of the outside
numbers does not exceed the table limit, so 21 1 2 3 20 would be no good for a roulette
table that has minimum bet of $25 and maximum bet of $1000 because this line requires the
first bet to be $1025. For a similar reason a line like 6 7 8 9 is dangerous because if you lose
the first bet then the next bet is already above the maximum.
Splitting the Labouchere Line
If you want to play an aggressive labouchere line you need to know how to split the line.
Splitting the line involves breaking a number into a sub-line and then working on the sub-line
before moving back to the original line. You can choose to do this to reduce the size of the
bets or you may be forced to do this to stay below the table maximum.
To create a sub-line, you take the sum of the last number from your main line and create a
new labouchere sub-line that equals that number. If we find ourselves with the following line:
The next bet is 19 units which is close to the table limit and also quite a large bet. You can
break the last number into a sub-line, making sure that the sub-line total equals 16.
In this case, instead of the next bet being 19 units ( 3 + 16 from the main line) we only need
to bet 4 units ( 1 + 3 from the sub-line). Once you finish the sub-line you can cross out the
corresponding number in the main line.
Returning to the main line, we now can place a bet of 16 units or we may decide to split the
line again, this time the sub-line would only need to total 13. When playing labouchere
systems you should always consider creating a sub-line, it is always a choice. This is part of
the art to playing with Labouchere strategies. Furthermore, if you find yourself on a freak
bad run you can create sub-lines to sub-lines. You can also continue your labouchere lines
over multi sessions because at the crux, it is more a way of keeping score against the house.
Profits from Labouchere System
The Labouchere system is interesting because you don't need to win more than 50% of the
time to make a profit. As an example, if we had the labouchere line 1 2 3 4 and had a series
of ten spins of Win (W), Loss (L), L, L, L, W, W, L, W, W. We have 5 losses and 5 wins
but we have crossed out our labouchere line and won 10 units!
Reverse Labouchere System
The reverse labouchere system involves adding winnings to the line instead of deleting
winnings. For example:
You continue adding winnings to your line until you hit the table maximum.
If you lose, you delete the numbers at the end of your labouchere line. In the previous
example we would delete the 1 and 6 if we lost the next spin. If you lose the line, you start a
new line.
The reverse labouchere system was most famously used by Norman Leigh. He set up a
"cartel" of 13 players who used the reverse labouchere system to break the Casino
Municipale in Nice in 1966. They were banned from all French casinos and deported, but
with a huge bankroll of winnings!!
Thanks for reading. I hope you found this article useful and interesting. Remember that the
labouchere system is actually less about numbers and more about patience. There are real
subtleties to using the labouchere systems but if you work them out you will be all the richer
for it.
Good Luck!
Labouchere Legionnaire
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