Few big losses, many small winnings with this system

How the Labouchere betting system works, also called the cancellation method.

Labouchere is a system very similar to many other betting methods in which the compromise is to suffer few prominent losses in exchange for a high number of small winnings. The goal of this system is to be able to win a certain number of "money units" by focusing on the "Even Odds", such as the red-black or equal roulette, or bets with a 50% theoretical probability of the theoretical win in case of winning the episode (games 1 $, win $ 2, clogged $ 1). It is the player who chooses the value and number of "money units" to be put into play.

Before entering the details we clarify our position regarding the betting systems: In the long term the casino always has the most favorable chances, no matter which method or makeup the player can implement. Even the labouchere method that we present in this article is no exception, so in the event that you decide to try to put it into practice you have to be aware that the risk of losing the entire amount played is a situation that could occur concretely.

So let's see how the Labouchere system works, bearing in mind that we will call the amount of money that the player decides to put at risk "bankroll". In our example, the goal to be achieved is to win 10 units of money. The number and value of these units are chosen by the player, as well as the amount of the Bankroll (the higher the risk, the greater the risk):

  • It starts by writing on a sheet of paper a line containing ten one (1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1). Each number represents a betting unit. When all numbers are deleted, the player has won 10 units.
  • For each episode you have to bet the sum of the most left and the most right number. If only one number has remained, you must bet the sum of this number with zero.
  • If you have won, cancel both numbers on the left and right from the line.
  • If you have lost, add the sum of the two numbers to the right of the row.
  • If your Bankroll is not high enough to cover the sum of the two numbers on the left and right of the line, proceed as follows: if your bankroll can cover the value of the left number, it focuses in this way. If you win remove the left number, if you lose the number of lost units in the first issue. If, on the other hand, your bankroll does not cover the value of the number on the left, bet everything that remains. If you win, remove the number of betting units from the number to the left. If you lost, you have exhausted the money at your disposal.
  • Repeat the steps from 2 to 5 until you have canceled all the numbers (in this case you have won 10 units) or the Bankroll has run out.

Here is a concrete example:

  • If part with 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
  • Bet two units (1+1) and win. At this point, delete the more left number and the one to the right, leaving 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
  • Bet two units (1+1) and lose. At this point add the number of lost units to the right, then 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
  • Bet three units (1+2) and lose again. Add three to the right of the sequence, which becomes 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 3
  • Bet four units (1+3) and win. Get the numbers again at the ends of the sequence, which becomes 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
  • Repeat the procedure following the previous instructions

The system is based on the assumption that in theory by canceling two numbers for each win and adding only one for losses it is very likely to be able to cancel all the numbers. However, with a rather long negative series, the numbers begin to grow very quickly and the player can reach the bottom of his Bankroll before how much he may think. In general, the rule applies that The greater the amount put at risk, the more the probability of canceling all numbers. In any case, the results of the application of this system can only be two, that is, winning the set number of units or losing everything.

If you want to try this system quickly and without risking real money, you can take your tests in some free games available in the various online casino. Obviously you can experiment at your convenience and deviate from the general strategy presented in the article, for example by increasing or decreasing the number of initial units.

In the next article we will do an in -depth analysis of the probability of winning using the cancellation method applied to the Roulette and Craps games, also evaluating how the situation changes according to the length of the starting sequence and the initial value of the Bankroll.