Labouchere

Labouchere is a negative-progression betting system where a player uses a sequence of numbers to determine bet sizes, crossing off numbers as bets are won and adding numbers when bets are lost.

To use the Labouchere, you start by writing down any sequence of numbers — for example, 1, 2, 3, 4. Your bet is always the sum of the first and last numbers in the sequence (here, 1 + 4 = 5). If that bet wins, you cross off both numbers and move to the next pair. If it loses, you add the losing bet amount to the end of the sequence. The goal is to cross off every number, at which point the total profit equals the sum of your original sequence.

In crash gambling, the Labouchere is applied to fixed-multiplier auto-cashout bets. A player sets a target multiplier — say 2.00× — and adjusts stake sizes according to the sequence after each round. For example, with the sequence 1, 2, 3, 4 (units), the first bet is 5 units at 2.00×. A win removes 1 and 4, leaving 2, 3. The next bet becomes 2 + 3 = 5 units again. A loss appends the lost amount, so the sequence grows and future bets increase to recover it.

The key caveat is sequence inflation. A streak of losses rapidly extends the number list, pushing required bet sizes well above your starting stakes. Unlike the Martingale, recovery is spread across multiple wins rather than a single bet — but a long losing run can still push bets beyond your bankroll or the table limit before the sequence is completed. The Labouchere does not change the house edge or improve your mathematical expectation; it only restructures how losses are chased across sessions.

Players drawn to structured betting systems should treat the Labouchere as a bankroll-management framework, not a profit guarantee. Setting a hard stop-loss limit before you begin — and sticking to it — is essential to prevent runaway sequence growth from wiping out your entire session balance.