Hit Your Profit Goal With the Labouchère Strategy

Do you love lists? Same. There’s just something about crossing one more thing off that makes your brain go ‘yes.’ If you’re in this club, you’re going to love the Labouchère betting strategy.

Now, think of your ideal payday (within reason, big spender). Maybe it’s $50, maybe $300. The Labouchère turns that goal into a neat little sequence of numbers that you cross off as you get closer to your payday goal.

It takes slightly more than a one-liner to explain how it works, but after a couple of minutes with us, you’ll be up to speed, and hopefully, hitting your payday goal.

What is the Labouchère strategy?

The Labouchère betting strategy, also known as the cancellation system or the split Martingale, is a negative progression system, meaning you increase your bets after a loss instead of after a win.

The goal is to recover previous losses and walk away with your preset profit target. Not to be confused with shopping at Target, where walking away with anything under $100 is statistically impossible, regardless of your pre-made list.

To use the Labouchère system, choose a game with near 50/50, even-money bets. That includes outside bets in roulette, banker bets in baccarat, or pass/don’t pass bets in craps. You’ll need close-to-even odds to balance wins and losses.

How the Labouchère Roulette Strategy Works: Step-by-Step

The most popular game to use the Labouchère is with roulette, so we’ll focus on that for our example.

Admittedly, the Labouchère roulette strategy is more complicated than the simple Martingale doubling. You will have to do a little bit of math. Just a little! Simple addition and no more. Nothing to retroactively rescind your SAT scores, promise.

Here’s how to do it, step-by-step.

1. Pick your win goal, like $50.
2. Break it into a sequence of either 10 or 20 betting units: 5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5. Write that sequence down.
3. Now add the first and last numbers (5 + 5). That sum is your first bet ($10).
4. Place $10 on an even-money bet (red/black, odd/even, or high/low).
5. If you win, do the delightful deed and cross off the first and last numbers in your sequence. (now it’s: 5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5)

If you lose, write the bet you just lost at the end of the sequence. (now it’s: 5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-10)

6. For your next bet, add the first and last numbers of your sequence together. (That’s $10 if you had won, or $15 if you had lost).
7. Keep going in this way, slowly chipping away at your sequence, until either you cross off the final one or two numbers or your bankroll can’t cover the next bet.

If you made it, rejoice! Another list is complete. Now onto the next show in your “must-watch” list. The White Lotus better be on there.

Examples of the Labouchère Strategy

Let’s put the method in motion and see how a session would look with a series of wins and losses. Sticking with our trusty $50 profit and 10 betting units, our sequence looks like this:

5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5

Essentially, every fake movie phone number. Your first bet is the sum of the first and last numbers, so $10. You put it on red.

• Spin 1: Lose. Add the lost $10 to the end → 5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-10.
• Spin 2: Now bet $15 (5 + 10). Lose again. Add 15 to the end → 5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-10-15.
• Spin 3: Bet $20 (5 + 15). Win! Cross off the outer numbers → 5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-10.
• Spin 4: Bet $15 (5 + 10). Win again! Cross them off → 5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5.
• Spin 5: Bet $10 (5 + 5). Win. (Dang, nice. Are you wearing your lucky socks?) Cross them off → 5-5-5-5-5-5.

At that point, you’d only need about three more consecutive wins to clear the sequence and lock in your $50 goal. It’s rare to wrap it up that neatly, but as long as your target fits comfortably within your bankroll, a few wins and losses back and forth usually get you there eventually.

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Can it return a profit?

Sure, but like any other strategy, it’s never guaranteed. The Labouchère looks brilliant on paper because you cross off two numbers for every win and add only one for every loss. That means you can, in theory, win less than half your bets and still finish the list in profit.

But that doesn’t protect against long losing streaks. The longer that cold run lasts, the faster your next wager balloons. Eventually, you’ll smack into either a table limit or your bankroll’s breaking point, whichever comes first.

Simulation studies show most players do reach their goal in short sessions, but the house edge remains unchanged. You’re still up against the same odds as anyone else. You’re just more organized, and your inner Type-A can rest easy knowing it’s a well-planned defeat.

Pros & Cons of the Labouchère System

Like most betting systems, the Labouchère has its moments of genius as well as its moments of meh. Here’s the quick rundown:

Pros

• Easy to maintain control. The list structure gives every bet a purpose instead of random guessing.
• Small wins feel satisfying. Crossing off numbers is weirdly motivating, like financial self-care.
• You can profit even with fewer wins. In theory, winning around one-third of your bets can still complete the sequence.
• It’s flexible. You can tailor your list to your risk level and bankroll size.

Cons

• Losing streaks escalate fast. Bets can skyrocket before you realize it.
• Bankroll limits are very real. Once you can’t cover the next bet, the system breaks down completely.
• Table limits stop progression. Even if you could afford it, casinos won’t let you bet infinitely high.

What’s the reverse Labouchère?

If the original Labouchère feels too cautious, the Reverse Labouchère is the optimistic twin. It’s a positive progression system, meaning you increase your bets after a win instead of after a loss.

Here’s how it works: you start with your line of numbers just like before and bet the sum of the first and last numbers. If you win, you add that same amount to the end of your list. If you lose, you cross off the first and last numbers instead. You continue this process until every number is gone or your bets reach your personal limit.

Other Roulette Strategies To Try

The Labouchère isn’t the only way to get organized at the roulette table. If you’re the type who likes options, here are a few other systems worth experimenting with.

Martingale: The classic “double or nothing.” Every time you lose, double your next bet so one win recovers all losses plus a small profit. It’s simple and fast, but strikes the terror of the Grim Reaper into your soul when you hit a losing streak.

Learn more about the Martingale →

Iron Cross: A coverage-heavy system that bets on almost every number except a few. You’ll win small amounts often, but the rare loss hits hard. Think of it as playing defense instead of offense.

Learn more about the Iron Cross →

Fibonacci: Based on the famous number sequence, you increase your bet by moving one step forward after a loss and back two steps after a win. It’s slower and steadier than Martingale, with smaller swings.

Learn more about the Fibonacci →

Paroli: The happy optimist’s approach. You double your bet after each win instead of after a loss. The idea is to ride short winning streaks and pocket profits before the tide turns.

Learn more about the Paroli →

Built-in structure? Check. Manageable progression? Check. Easy to follow? Check. Well, would you look at that? Our entire shopping list of the perfect betting strategies is crossed off. Thanks, Labouchère! We’ll take one session, please. Log in to Cafe Casino, and try the Labouchère betting system on any game with even-money wins, then officially cross that dream off your list.