The Labouchere strategy is a little more complicated than the Martingale and at the same time it's a bit safer to use. With the Martingale you can be winning one minute and then losing big the next.
The Labouchere is a bit slower but the plus side to this is that it is more consistent. The Labouchere is also known as the cancellation method because you start out with a betting line and then cross numbers off it as you play.
Let's dive in now with an example. You start by writing down a sequence of numbers that will influence the size of your bets, for example you could start out with:
1 1 1 1 1 1
Your first bet is the total of the left and right hand numbers added together. If you WIN your first bet you cross both of these numbers of your line and forget all about them. This rule is simple enough to remember but it's when you lose that you need to concentrate on what you're doing.
In the event of a loss, you add the amount that you just wagered onto the end of your line andDON'T CROSS ANY NUMBERS OFF. So using the above sequence as a starting point again, if you were to lose your first your line would look like this:
1 1 1 1 1 1 2
If you were then to lose your next bet as well you sequence would then look like this:
1 1 1 1 1 1 2 3
The reason for adding the three on the end is because 1+2 is 3. You always use the sum of the left hand number and the right hand number added together to determine your betting amount. If you were to keep losing, your bets will keep getting gradually bigger until you start winning, at which point they will start getting smaller.
If/when you cross all the numbers out from your line, you will be in profit by the value of your line when you started. If we use the line I started with as an example, my profit would be £6 if I managed to cross all the numbers off the line because there are 6 values of 1 on the line.
Golden Rules Of The Labouchere Blackjack Strategy
1. Always use the value of the left and right hand numbers to determine your betting amount.
2. Always cross off both the left and right hand numbers after a win.
3. Don't cross off any numbers after a loss and add the amount you've just bet onto the right hand side of your line.
Final Thoughts
When you start playing and you construct your line, you can put whatever numbers you like into it. You could go wacky and have something like 1 33 2 25 45 10 if you wanted but it is better to play it safe and start out with a safe amount like the I did above.
Remember that the line dictates how much you're going to need to bet and if you start out with big bets, it will only take a few losses to start sending you down a losing road.
While the Labouchere is generally a safe method when you use it properly and safely, a few losses will increase your bets to a level where only a long winning streak will bring them back down so you should always set yourself a stop loss limit.
