The Labouchere strategy is a system that came to sports betting from gambling. It is sometimes called “split Martingale”. Indeed, the technique resembles the classic “catch-up”, but there are significant differences and fundamentally different bankroll management. Yet, the strategy can come in handy when betting on Rabona sports football matches. So, let’s get to the point.
A Bit of History
When Labouchere was at university, he became interested in horse racing betting, which is still widespread in the UK. For two years, the student went to the races almost daily and made bets. Over this time, he lost about 6 thousand pounds.
Despite failures, betting on horse racing brought Labouchere to the conclusion that predictions are more accurate and efficient when adhering to a certain system. This was the inspiration for the creation of the strategy.
Principle of the Strategy
The player sets short-term goals. Initially, a bettor sets the amount to be won; it should be no more than 5% of the bankroll. It is divided into a series of numbers.
For example, $250 for 20-40-60-60-40-30 (the sum can be divided into equal parts, not necessarily 6 since there are no clear allocation rules). Now, you should sum up the extreme values (left and right) and make a forecast on this amount with a coefficient of at least 2.
If the bet losses, add the amount (50) to the end of the row: 20-40-60-60-40-30-50
In the case of loss, we remove the numbers that were summed up: 20-40-60-60-40-30
After that, set the goal again and redistribute the amounts over a series of numbers.
To put it simply, you remove two values from the row if the prediction wins and add one figure if the forecast losses. The probability of winning is greater than losing, but with each failure, the size of the next bet will increase. This is where the strategy is similar to the Martingale one.
Example
Let’s consider the sports betting strategy on an example. The size of your bankroll is $2000. You set a goal to earn $100. Let’s divide it like this:
20-30-30-20.
We bet on the outcome with a coefficient of 2.0. The size of the prediction is $40 (plus the extreme values: 20+20). If the bet wins, cross out the first and last numbers (20 and 20). When the bet loses, enter the amount of loss at the end of the row – 40.
The sequence will be as follows – 20-30-30-20-40. Now you need to earn $60 (20 + 40). Make another bet with the odds of 2.0. The cycle continues until you remove all the numbers from the row.
Strategy Disadvantages
An increase in the size of the bet is a significant disadvantage of the Labouchere strategy, as in the case of catch-up and Martingale. The more losses a bettor encounters, the higher the amount of the forecast should be.
For example, take this row: 10-10-20-20-20-10-10.
If there are four losses in a row, then, the bettor will finally lose $140.
To draw the line, let’s point out the main points of the sports betting strategy. If the prediction is successful, remove the first and last numbers from the row. When repeating a forecast, add the size of the winnings at the end of the row. Stop the strategy when the row of numbers is done or when you reach the set limit.
If comparing the Labouchere system with its brothering strategy, note that unlike the Martingale one, when using the considered system, losses will be noticeably lower in a long unsuccessful distance. However, it does not matter whether you use Martingale or Labouchere, the essence remains the same – the bankroll will unlikely to survive a long series of losses. So, the strategy is not worth the time and effort spent on it.
