Long before sports betting, the best mathematical minds applied their science to casinos, and particularly the roulette wheel. The Labouchere system is one of the most famous systems developed that claim to give the roulette player a statistical advantage over the wheel. Arguments about whether it actually does so or does not are not of interest to us here, but its application to sports betting is.
Decide how much money you want to win, say £100. Write down a list of numbers that add to that, e.g.: 1;2;3;4;5;6;7;8;9;10;14;15;16. Stake equals the total of the first and last number on the list, eg 1;16=17. If you win remove both numbers from the list, e.g. it becomes: 2;3;4;5;6;7;8;9;10;14;15;. If you lose, add the amount lost to the end of the list, e.g.: 1;2;3;4;5;6;7;8;9;10;14;15;16;17.
Continue until there is only one number left on the list, and if only one number remains then that is the amount of the stake. When you cross off the last number the desired amount to win has been won.
This system is great fun, and if you cross off all of the numbers then you have won the amount you wanted to. To complete the list you need a win rate of a third. Therefore you can bet say on all horses at Evens (expected win rate 50% less bookmakers’ margin) and expect to return more than 33% and win what you set out to with confidence.
Easy money apart from the fact that you might hit a losing run and therefore your bets may become so high that you can’t stake them or you can’t lay them off. The mathematical way to counter this would be to have a bank at which you quit betting. The size that the bank exceeded the target win amount each time would be the confidence generated.
For example a bank of £100 supporting a win target of £10 (ten times cover) would be likely to end in tears fairly quickly, where a bank of £10,000 supporting a win target of £25 (four hundred times would be unlikely to expire within your lifetime.)
Potential sport betting events that the Labouchere system can be applied to include:
Horse Racing (say Evens favourites)
Greyhound Racing (say Traps 1 and 6)
Football (say Premiership Draws)
Tennis and Boxing (say the favourite)
The system would work particularly work well with reliable tipsters.
Always be aware of “increasing stake systems” because they can become like putting one grain of rice on the first square of a chess-board, and doubling the number of grains put on each subsequent square, until by the time you get to the last square the number of grains exceeds the world’s supply. On the other hand, don’t write them off.
It is quite possible to strategise for an expected overall win if you allocate a reasonable pool and aim for consistent moderate wins over a period of time. By utilizing the Labouchere System you are tapping into a rich vein of advanced and mature statistical enquiry.
What is reverse labouchere?
The Reverse Labouchere is an intriguing variation of the traditional Labouchere betting system. While the original Labouchere system is a negative progression strategy where bets increase after losses and decrease after wins, the Reverse Labouchere takes an opposite approach. In this positive progression system, you increase your bets after winning, which can lead to substantial gains during winning streaks.
How It Works
To employ the Reverse Labouchere, you’ll need to create a sequence of numbers that represent your betting units. The sum of the first and last numbers in your sequence determines your initial bet. For example, if your sequence is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, your first bet would be 11 units (1+10). If you win, you add the winning number to the end of the list. If you lose, you remove the first and last numbers from the sequence and start again. The strategy aims to capitalize on winning streaks and minimise losses.
Effectiveness
The Reverse Labouchere betting system aims to minimise losses and make the most of winning streaks. It’s recommended to stop playing after the first loss following a series of wins to preserve your profits. However, it’s essential to remember that while the positive progression can help reduce losses in a single session, it won’t protect you from significant losses over multiple sessions.
Considerations
One of the key benefits of this system is the potential for substantial winnings during successful runs. However, it also has a built-in maximum loss limit, which is the sum of all numbers in your initial sequence. For example, if your sequence is 1-2-3-4, you can lose up to 10 units in a single cycle.
The Reverse Labouchere, like all progressive betting systems, does not guarantee success but offers an exciting alternative for those willing to manage their losses effectively and know when to walk away.
Is the labouchere betting system reliable?
The Labouchere betting system is a well-known strategy often used in games like roulette. It’s also known as the cancellation system or split-Martingale. The system is generally played on even-money games and involves writing a list of numbers. After a win, two numbers are crossed off the list, and after a loss, one number is added to the list. The logic behind Labouchere roulette betting is that the player needs to win only about 1/3 of the time for the system to work. However, a string of losses can quickly exhaust a player’s bankroll, making it a risky strategy.
The Labouchere system roulette is not for those looking for a simple progressive betting system. It’s one of the more complicated systems and takes some getting used to. Despite its complexities, it remains popular among gamblers.
The Labouchere strategy is meant to be applied to even money Roulette propositions such as Even/Odd, Red/Black, or 1–18/19–36. The system attempts to offset the odds, which are not exactly 50/50 in roulette. The player has an 18/38 chance of success, which is around 47.37%. The system only requires that it hit 33.34% of the time for the list to be completed.
In summary, the Labouchere betting system is not entirely reliable. While it may result in session wins, it can also lead to significant losses, especially during a bad string of outcomes. It’s a system that requires a good understanding of its complexities and a significant bankroll to absorb potential losses.
All such bets as these are just variations on a Martngale, i.e. doubling up when losing. Ultimately doomed as a strategy unless you are placing ‘value’ bets i.e. securing better odds than the probability warrants. That’s where the difficulty lies!
IMO, A system not to be taking on, its not manageable and not workable. A bookmaker will welcome you with open arms playing this system. Long term its doomed to failure as a previous post says.
Definitely not for the long run, but could be used for a project. I have used this system betting draws and h/f’s in world cup and euro playoffs. You just anticipate a certain minimum number of draws in beforehand ( say 8 ), and spread the total winnings on a certain amount of figures ( 16 ). As soon as 8 draws have been played I take the win and run. It hasn’t failed yet in my lifetime ( and should never do in such a championship ?)
Just as suitable this system might be for short term, the so called “reversed labouchere” should be on long term. Then you do opposite, add your winnings to the streak. In this way you optimize a good run, and some day you reach the “bank limit” for staking or winning. You collect and start a new streak.
However, don’t reckon to break the bank this way doing sportsbetting. The reverse is much more suitable for even chances in a casino, because of all the bets you can do in a short time span. This is just what was done by a british team in french casinos in the 60s, some of you may have read the book “Thirteen against the bank”