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Editorial: Labouchere Roulette System

Many players have attempted to win at Roulette through the means of different types of Roulette betting system, such as the progressive or Martingale systems. Other players have tried to time the Roulette wheel at various casino Roulette games to determine a bias in the wheel that can allow them an advantage.

One of the most famous types of Roulette betting systems is known as the "Labouchere Roulette system", also known as a "cross-out" or "cancellation" system. The Labouchere Roulette system does not require any knowledge of higher mathematics to insure a big win at Roulette games, but a player does need to concentrate on their bet amounts.

History

The Labouchere Roulette system, just like the game of casino Roulette itself, was born in France. Although no one knows the true history of the mysterious Monsieur (or Madame) Labouchere, Roulette games were extremely popular among the French aristocracy during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, as were books on Roulette betting systems. The Labouchere Roulette system became famous during these times, and still maintains a level of popularity today.

How it Works

The Labouchere Roulette system works on some very simple principles. Unlike other Roulette betting systems that may require a player to remember previous spins or take high-risk bets, the Labouchere system works best when players stick with even-money bets (red/black, even/odd, high/low). Also the player at the Roulette wheel must have determined an amount they can win within the bounds of their bankroll.

Example

As an example, a player wants to take home a $200 win at roulette playing by only even-money bets. The player will split this $200 into an even number of bets; for instance, the player will play eight bets of differing amounts: $20, $50, $40, $10, $40, $10, $20, and another $10. The individual amounts themselves are immaterial; the player only needs an even number of bets that add up to $200.

The player then adds the first and last numbers from this line ($20 + $10 = $30) and places it on an even-money bet. The player then crosses off the two amounts on their line and waits on the results.

If the player wins, he makes the next bet based on the two end numbers in the new line ($50 + $20 = $70).

If the player loses, he puts the amount lost at the end of the new line and makes a new bet based on the two end numbers in the new line ($50 + $30 = $80).

Once a player crosses off all the numbers in the line, he has won the total amount he aimed to win ($200).

Benefits

The benefits of using such a system at a casino Roulette game is that the player only plays even-money bets, which also give the player the best odds to win at Roulette. The Labouchere Roulette system works best on a European Roulette wheel, since the house edge on it is only half as high as that on an American Roulette wheel.

Risks

Of course, no Roulette betting system comes without risks. If a player hits a big losing streak at his Roulette game, the ever-escalating bet sizes could deal a catastrophic blow to his bankroll. Also, the system does not give any protection against the casino Roulette house edge. In the long run, the player will lose at a predictable and unavoidable rate.

Reverse Labouchere

Some creative players have devised a "reverse Labouchere" system to win at Roulette. Instead of eliminating numbers at each end of the line, the player simply adds the next number in the line to the previous bet.

For instance, in the above example, the player makes his first $30 even-money bet and wins. Instead of crossing off the $20 and $10 from the line, the "reverse Labouchere" player adds the next number in the line ($50) to the previous two ($20 + $10 + $50 = $80) for his next bet.

Reverse Labouchere Roulette System: Benefits

The most apparent benefit to "reverse Labouchere" is that, instead of limiting what a player can win at a casino Roulette game, he can go on playing indefinitely. On a long winning streak, a player can quickly reach the table limit and either continue playing at the highest level, move to a table with a higher limit and continue, or take his winnings home.

Reverse Labouchere Roulette System: Risks

Just as the "reverse Labouchere" system can increase the rate at which a player wins, it can also cause an accelerated destruction of his bankroll on a long losing streak. Like most progressive systems that rely on recouping losses from previous spins of the Roulette wheel, "reverse Labouchere" can cause players to throw away even more money to make up for their earlier bad luck.

Conclusion

The key to keep in mind about the Labouchere Roulette system is that it does not change the odds or guarantee a winning session. However, it can make for an effective bankroll management strategy if the player stays within both their stop-win and stop-loss limits.

19-Feb-2010, 13:04

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