Labouchere Roulette System

Players are forever trying to find something that can help them compete in the game of roulette. This invariably gravitates into the implementation of a system based on betting. Some of the systems are simple; others are more complicated. Perhaps the most complicated of the systems is the Labouchere system for roulette, which is also known to some people as a "cancellation" system. No one is really certain as to where the system originated, or exactly who Labouchere is. Frankly, it's not really that important.

Like the Martingale roulette system, it is a progressive system, and like all roulette systems that have any following, it is meant to be played using the outside bets (Even or Odd, High or Low, Red or Black).

This is a very difficult system to grasp, and if you want to use it, you'll probably have to take out a pen and a piece of paper at first to work the whole thing out. What you're going to do here is start with a line of numbers. The line of 1-1-2-3 might be an example to use. What you're going to do in the Labouchere is take the first and last numbers in that line and add them together to come up with your bet. In this particular instance it would be the one and the three, which totals four ($4).

If you win, you will cancel the first and last numbers in the line (the 1 and 3) and add the remaining numbers to come up with your next bet total. Here you would have 1 + 2 = 3. So that is what you would bet after the win, based on this line. If you then experience a second consecutive win, you simply start all over with another line. Another thing you will know is that after two straight wins, the profit you're going to have will be equal to the sum of the numbers in the line. And by the way, that would go for any line you chose.

Let's now look at the scenario where you LOSE the first bet. Here your process is a bit different. When you lose, you would take the amount that you bet and add it to the line. So with a line of 1-1-2-3, that would now make your line 1-1-2-3-4, and the next bet would require that you add one and four (4), which would constitute a $5 bet. Then you would do the same thing again if you lost ($1 + $5 = $6). You would NOT clear the line if you lost again.

Indeed, it would appear that you would be chasing after losses with this system. However, the purpose of this system is to overcome the fact that the outside bets don't pay you as much as they are worth. It is possible that you can have a profit with the Labouchere even if you lost more spins than you won.

There is some flexibility as to how long your line of numbers is, as well as the values you place in them. For example, you could have 5-6-7-8 as a line, where the first bet would be $13. if you win, you will bet $13 again ($6 + $7). If you lose, you then have a line of 5-6-7-8-13, and your next bet is the sum of the first and last numbers of that line, which comes to $18.

Generally speaking, the longer the line, the more you're going to put at risk. Any line with four or more numbers in it would be considered rather "aggressive," and the more aggressive you get, the more risk there is going to be of exceeding the table limit.

As we said, the Labouchere is very complicated, although it will almost certainly be less vexing when you have played it for a while. If you have a certain bet (and profit) level you want to lock into, and recognize that you need something extra to overcome the 5.24% disadvantage on each and every roulette wager, this is something you may want to try.