6. The Labby System

The term "Labby" or "The Lab," as this system is some­times known, does not refer to laboratory tests to which it has been submitted, though it has probably been tried more often than any other system at the proving grounds of Monte Carlo. The word "Labby" is supposedly a nickname for a famous journalist, Labouchere, who used it to finance his visit to the Mediterranean's famous Rock.

But there is no guarantee that the Labby will work consist­ently for you or anyone else. Like all systems it has bugs, as we shall see, though there are certain remedies that are sup­posed to eliminate them.

The purpose of the Labby is to win a specified amount, say $10, while swinging the playing odds in the player's favor de­spite the house percentage. As with the Martingale, this re­quires an increase in the size of the bets, so that less wins will counteract more losses.

But there is no effort to wipe out a bad score in wholesale fashion by doubling the bets. Instead, the process is gradual in both respects. Though the Labby may come a cropper through a very adverse run, its demise will be slow, if not graceful; never the sudden death that always threatens the Martingale.

The best way to describe the Labby is to demonstrate it, which saves talk and produces action. To begin with, you set your goal, say 10 units—which could be $1 each, or could represent $10 each, making $100 your aim, or whatever sum you might decide to shoot for. You can even play it on paper as we're doing now, just for the fun of it, though there is a lot of paper work involved.
At any rate, take the 10 units and break them into smaller figures to form a column as:

1
2
2
1
2
2

Now start your play. As a sample, let's take Black in our key chart. Each time you wager the top and bottom units of the column and when you win you cross them both out.

In this case, luck is with us. Our first play (1 + 2) brings a win of 3. Having crossed out the top and bottom figures, we add the new top and bottom (2 + 2) and play the total 4 for another win, crossing out the two figures.

Again we play the "top and bottom" (2+1) which happen to be the only units left. We win 3 and cross them both out. That clears the column, with 10 units won.

Here is how the column would appear after each of the plays described:

After After          After

1st Play           2nd Play       3rd Play     WON LOST

1*    1*                1*                      3
2      2*                2*                 4
2      2                  2*

1. 1       l*                 3
2. 2*    2*                —
         2*    2*                 2e                     10

(Total)

So far, so good—and so, so simple! It should be, with every play a win. But what happens when you lose? That's shown when we start again, with the 4th, 5th and 6th plays making a new series, Black winning the first play; Red the second and third.

After 1st Play   1*
            2
            2
            1
            2
            2*

After 2nd Play
1*
            2
            2
            1
            2
            2*
            4

After 3rd Play
            1*
            2
            2
            1
            2
            2·
            4
            6

WON LOST
3
4
6

The first play (1 + 2) was registered as a win (3) and the top and bottom units were crossed out, as usual. The next play was for 4 (2 + 2) and, since it was a loss, no numbers were crossed out. Instead, the loss was written at the bottom of the original column as a single figure (4).

The next play was again composed of the top and bottom figures (2 + 4) for a total of 6. This was a loss so it was also placed at the bottom of the original column. The next play, the fourth in the new series, will therefore be 8 (2 + 6). If we win, we cross out the two figures; if we lose, we put 8 as a single figure beneath the original column.

It is now obvious that while each win is chopping two figures (top and bottom) from the column, each loss is only adding a single figure. Although the odds are virtually even with Black and Red, except for an occasional 0 or 00, we are gradually giving Black a 2 to 1 edge, so far as clearing the column is concerned.

Here is how the new series will look at the end of nine plays (representing the 4th to 12th plays, inclusive, as shown on our Master Chart).

1* 2* 2* 1*   2* 2* 4*   6* 6* 2*

WON 3     8   8 5 4 - 28

WON 4 6   6   2   - 18

Notice, not only is the column cleared; the player is 10 units winner, as he should be. The reason for the small loss of 2 near the finish was that on the 8th play of this series, only one figure (a 2) was left in the original column. So we played for that total, 2, and lost. A 2 was placed at the bottom and the two figures added (2 + 2) to make 4, which was played for a win, clearing the column.

The next series of plays (Master Chart 13th to 27th inclusive) runs as follows, still playing Black:

1*
2*
2*
l*
2*
2*
3*
4*
6*
6*
8*
7*
8*·
4*

WON

4

8

10

9
9
8

8 56

LOST
3
4
6
6
8

7
8

4

46

Not that in this sequence, Black cleared the column and finished 10 units ahead despite the fact that the series shows one more "Lost" than "Won." Here, the Labby is proving its value. Now for the next series (28th through 30th). Here we have three quick wins for Black:

1*                WON            LOST
2*                        3
2*                        4
1*                        3
2*
2*                       10

•These represent numbers that have been crossed out during play.

In four sequences, totaling thirty plays, Black has scored four wins of 10 units each. However, the preponderance of plays has favored Black. So let's go back to the beginning and see how we would have made out with Red. It takes exactly twenty-one plays to find out:

1* 2* 2* 1* 2* 2* 3* 4* 5* 6* 6* 8* 10* 12* 11* 12* 11* 6*

WON   7 7   14 12   14 12 12 -- 104

LOST 3 4 5 6 6 8 10 12   12   11 6 -- 94

Before Black had kicked in $30 to the kitty, Red had also come through with $10 despite the fact that it had met twelve losses against nine wins. By now, the Labby should stack up as something very sure.

But there are breakers ahead.

Watch what happens when we encounter the next seven plays, beginning with the 22nd on the Chart and ending on the 30th. Only once does Red come through with a win, right in the middle of the series, which runs as follows:

*These represent numbers that have been crossed out during play.

l*               WON LOST
2                                          3
2                                          4

1. 5
2. 6

2                                              7

1. 7
2. 9

5                                        11
6*                                            13
7
 9
1113

Stop right there! That's where most Labby players stop-when the deficit begins to pile up. It isn't just a problem of clearing the column. The law of averages will take care of that. What matters is the cost per play.

Right now, the top and bottom units (2 + 13) call for a total play of 15. A few more losses and the ante will become even bigger. Yet clearing the column will only bring a gain of 10. Obviously, it is not worth the play-by-play investment. To take the loss and start over would mean losing most of the profit so far acquired.

There is a better way, one which comparatively few Labby players know about. That way is to break up the Labby and clear it section by section. Here's how to do it: Count the total of the figures that you have not yet crossed out and you will find that they total 61.

Out of that make five smaller columns, thus:

A	B	C	D	E
1	1	1	i—i	1
2	2	2	2	2
3	3	3	3	3
1	1	1	1	2
2	2	2	2	2
3	3	3	3	3

Note that these columns have been "stepped up" slightly so they total 12 (instead of 10) and the final column adds to 13. This slight increase will help clear them faster. Taking Column A, a play on Red (31st through 35th) will produce:

*These represent numbers that have been crossed out during play.

WON LOST
1*                       4
2*                       4
3*                                        4
1*                       7
2*                        1
3*                       —            —
4*                      16              4

And next, a play on Red with Column B will bring another clearance (36th through 41st) as follows:

WON LOST
1*                                        4
2s                                5
3°                        5
1*                                        5
2*                       8
3*                        3
4*                       _
5*                      21              9

In this way the player continues with Columns C, D, and E, until all five have been eliminated. The player will then be 10 units ahead. It may take a long while, though in this instance he will be clear before reaching the 80th play on the Master Chart. However, it is worth it to protect profits already made.

If one of the new columns (like A, B, C, D, E) becomes top heavy due to an adverse run, the player must stop and break it up as he did with the original column. But remember: It's not the size of the individual bets that matters as much as the increase of the column. A player may reach a point where he is betting 20 points or more on a single play; but if a win or two will clear it, he can afford to make the try.

There is no hard, fast rule. It depends on the individual player after personal experiment or experience. About the only comment to be added is that the Labby can be played effec­tively from "both sides of the board" as has been evident in our demonstration of Red and Black.

That means it can be played Odd and Even, High and Low, along with Red and Black. But it takes a lot more calculation than the Martingale and, to keep the figures straight, two or more players usually team up when working the Labby vari­ous ways.

"These represent numbers that have been crossed out during play.

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