The Reverse Labouchere System Wins $1.3 Million
The Roulette Player Who Won $1.3 Million
Roulette is, by nature, purely a game of chance. There’s no human input, either mentally or physically, that can change the outcome of the spinning roulette wheel when it comes to its final stop. And because there’s no skill involved, then you will not hear about players striking it rich at the roulette games table. Conversely with blackjack and jackpot poker, because there’s a great deal of skill used to win, we tend to hear more stories associated with these two games. But there is one legendary roulette player who has made the record books. Norman Leigh used a special technique called the reverse Labouchere system to win money from French casinos. So successful were his efforts, that he broke the bank and was promptly banned.
Leigh Breaks the Bank in France With The Reverse Labouchere System
In the mid-1960s Leigh started to take an interest in casinos and their inner workings. He was living in France at the time and so took himself off to play and observe in the local French casinos. He decided that he would concentrate on roulette, which was a strange choice considering that it is a game of chance. But, after months of research, he was certain that he’d formulated an infallible system. To prove that it would work, he recruited 12 other roulette players, and together, they devised a plan for breaking the casino’s banks. Leigh and his team decided to concentrate on casinos to win the jackpot in Nice and Monte Carlo, as both locations offered the coveted European Wheel, which gives a house edge of 2.70 percent. Within a relatively short space of time, Leigh and his team managed to win 800,000 French Francs. Adjusted for inflation, the sum would equal $1.3 million today. Though it might not appear a huge fortune, once divided by 13, it was less impressive but still a massive win. Or rather, a massive loss for the casinos. In a fit of pique, Leigh was banned from all casinos throughout the Nice and Monte Carlo areas. The interesting point was that they couldn’t fathom out how he had managed to pull off such a stunt. And they were not going to be taking any chances that he and his team could waltz in through their doors and do it again.
Leigh Joins Wells and Jagger as Bank Breakers
The Principality of Monaco was livid that Leigh broke the bank in Monte Carlo. In those casinos, each game table is assigned a fixed number of playing chips. If a player wins all of these, then it’s said that he has broken the bank. Only three other gamblers have managed to pull off such a feat. These were Charles Wells and Joseph Jagger. In Leigh’s case, the casinos couldn’t fathom his winning technique, though they could see that he was very much up on his winning’s volume. It’s only natural that the casino thought he was cheating, as the industry is focused on making money for itself, not for the gambler. The default setting is that the gambler is supposed to lose their money, not the casino.
Using a Biased Table?
The truth of the matter was that Leigh was an average player at all table games. As a roulette player, he was the same, average and ordinary. He had no special tricks and wasn’t using any form of sleight of hand or anything special for that matter. Most winners at the roulette table can utilise a bias in the roulette wheel itself. This means that as the wheel wears it’s bearings unevenly, there’s a slight tilt to the wheel. As it’s no longer perfectly flat, then the spinning ball has a greater possibility of going towards the wheel’s lowest point. So, by wagering on the three or four numbers which are at the lowest point on a tilting wheel, the gambler can beat the system. This is how Jagger was able to earn over $6 million in today’s money. But being able to spot a “biased” wheel is a whole other game. It could take weeks or months of constant plays to be able to find inconsistencies in the wheel. But Leigh didn’t use this technique. He used a counting system called the reverse Labouchere system.
The Reverse Labouchere System
This is straightforward and easy to use a basic betting strategy that anyone can learn and use. There’s no special knowledge or skill set required, just a want to learn and practice. Take Leigh for example. He was born in 1928 in London. He did his compulsory army service in 1946 where he worked as an interpreter. It was during this time in the army, that Leigh became interested in Roulette. He spent many an hour studying the game. Eventually, he stumbled across the reverse Labouchere system by accident, and it was armed with this knowledge, he put together a team and hit the French casinos hard. If you’re playing online then we suggest that you check out True Flip Casino. They have a huge number of offers to help increase you jackpot winning chances.
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What is the Reverse Labouchere System?
Though the system is relatively simple to operate, explaining it takes a great deal more effort. So, let’s dive in with an example.
First of all, you need to write down a sequence of numbers. This can be any number you fancy and the list can be as long as you like. Let’s say you write down the following: 4-5-3-2 as your string or list. Now, each number represents a betting unit and this unit is the table’s minimum bet. So…if you have a table minimum bet of $15, then your number 4 unit will equal $20. To determine your first bet, you’ll need to add your first and last number. If that proves to be a winner, then for your next bet, you’ll add the combined sum to the next sequence.
An Example of the Reverse Labouchere System:
Your sequence is 4-2-5-3.
The first bet is 7 units (4 +3).
You win the wager.
So the new sequence is 4-2-5-3-7.
If you happen to lose the first bet, then you’ll cross off the two numbers used in the wager. Here’s an example:
Your sequence is 4-2-5-3.
The first wager is 7 units.
You lose the wager.
Then your new sequence is 2-5.
The concept of this system is to keep going until you complete the sequence. Here’s an example of completing the number string:
Your sequence is 4-2-5-3.
The first wager is 7 units.
You win this bet.
Now your new sequence is 4-2-5-3-7.
So your next bet is 11 units.
You lose this wager.
Your new sequence is 2-5-3.
Now your next bet is 5 units.
But you lose this wager.
So your new sequence is 5.
You bet 5 units and lose.
The sequence is over.
Can the Reverse Labouchere Make You Rich?
The reverse Labouchere system is built around the notion of winning streaks. You keep betting numbers and when you’re winning it bets on the string. So, if you can keep the string going for a long time, then it follows that you can make a substantial profit. We should assume that Leigh and his team quit when they were ahead. There’s always the distinct chance that the casino might start winning some money back if one were to complete the sequence till it’s ending. The basis of this system is that it stops you from losing too much. You will only lose what your starting string contains. So, if the system adds up to ten units, then you can’t lose more than this. If playing this system at a real casino is too complex for you, or makes you nervous, then you could always play online. True Flip Casino offers a welcome bonus of up to 1000 Euros, which will help you get started. They are without a doubt the best casino site to play.
A Whole Lot of Luck
The main takeaway from Norman Leigh’s win is that he did get lucky. The reverse Labouchere system can’t overcome the casino house edge nor can it give you any sort of guaranteed winnings. What it can do is to manipulate short term winnings. Even while using this strategy, Leigh still needed a good dose of luck. Anyone can use this system provided they have a big enough starting bankroll and have learned the basics. It’s not a closely guarded secret or some magic formula for success. The reason Leigh and his team were banned from playing in those casinos has nothing to do with them making use of this particular system. As we previously mentioned, the casinos had no idea how he was making so much bank at roulette. In a way, they were looking in the wrong place. The casinos became convinced he was cheating because they couldn’t find an alternative conclusion. Yet he was using a system open to everyone, though admittedly, not well known at the time. Essentially, his winnings came from utilising a jackpot winning strategy and a whole lot of luck.
Conclusion: The Roulette Player Who Won $1.3 Million
Today, Leigh would never be banned. Casinos are aware of this technique and it’s perfectly legal. Some time after the success of breaking the bank at those French casinos, Leigh would find himself in financial difficulties. So much so, that in 1968 he was sent to prison for fraud. The gambling world, putting two unconnected events together, had their ideas of him winning by cheating re-enforced. But after prison, in 1976, Leigh wrote a book called “Thirteen Against the Bank.” In it, he describes how they broke the bank with the reverse Labouchere system and lots of luck. He was adamant that there was no cheating involved. Probably the most stunning part of this tale was that he was able to convince 12 other players to go along with the reverse Labouchere system. For those of you interested in Roulette, we have a compete Roulette glossary and a complete guide to playing Roulette.
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