The Reverse Labouchère Betting System – My Ultimate Guide

Introduction to the Reverse Labouchère Betting System
How the System Works: What is the Reverse Labouchère Betting System?
Implementing the Reverse Labouchère
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Introduction to the Reverse Labouchère Betting System

As the name implies, the ‘Reverse Labouchère’ betting system functions as the opposite of the original ‘Labouchère‘ betting system.

While the original system functions as a negative progression betting system, the ‘Reverse Labouchère’ seeks to minimize losses compared to the Labouchère by losing lower amounts while profiteering off winning streaks.

The Reverse Labouchere is slightly more complex than other progressive betting systems like the Paroli.

As with all systems – both progressive and negative- the Reverse Labouchère is best intended to be implemented on even money bets. This means games like craps, baccarat, and roulette.

How does the Reverse Labouchère differ from other progressive betting systems that encourage winning streaks and seek to place (perhaps misguided) faith in popular gambling fallacies like ‘hot hands’?

How the System Works: What is the Reverse Labouchère Betting System?

The genuine appeal of the Reverse Labouchère is an increased mounting win on a streak that will supposedly help to offset any losses you’ve had.

When the Labouchère is played in reverse, the player does not designate an amount to win but rather an amount they’re comfortable with risking. By doing so, the Reverse Labouchère limits any session’s potential loss. As a result, they’ll also see a much more significant net gain on winning streaks.

Implementing the Reverse Labouchère

The Reverse Labouchère may initially seem more complicated than other progressive betting systems, but ultimately the strategy is very straightforward once adhered to. It is designed to work best with even money bets but can also be applied to forms of sports betting.

The first step to implementing the Reverse Labouchère is determining a set or sequence of numbers – on which the system will be based.

Generally, players use a sequence of 4 – 10 numbers and no more than 10% of their total bankroll.

For example, if you have a $1,000 bankroll and your sequence totals no more than $50, you could arrange your sequence as 1-2-2-4-4-6-6-8-8.

We recommend keeping track of your sequence on a piece of paper while playing online.

In practice, this might look like this:

The first wager is equal to the sum of the first and last numbers in the sequence. In the above case, this would be (8) + (1) = $9.
If you win on this wager, you add the amount staked to the end of the sequence.
If you win on that wager, you would add a 9: 1-2-2-4-4-6-6-8-8-9.
If you lose on the wager, you would instead remove the first and last numbers of the sequence: 2-2-4-4-6-6-8.
Every wager you place, regardless of win or loss, will equal the total of the first and last numbers in the sequence.
You stake that number if you only have one number remaining in your sequence.
If all numbers are completely removed from the sequence, you begin again with a new cycle.

While there are no concrete rules governing what numbers you decide to contain within this sequence, opting for each number to be equal to (or higher than) the previous number in the sequence is always recommended.

Of course, there are certain considerations to keep in mind with this.

A larger number set can naturally result in a much more significant loss. More numbers within the sequence will make the ‘cycle’ last longer before you return to your initial staking amount.

Conversely, if you can attain a consistent winning streak (purely by luck), you could easily see a large profit that covers all the prior losses.

The system also helps to limit your losses, as you can only ever lose a ‘fixed’ amount. So the total amount you can lose in a single cycle equals the amount of all the numbers in your starting sequence.