The professor who beat roulette:
How a renowned researcher beat the odds, stumped casino owners around the world, and walked away with a fortune.
I love this so hard
This is awesome!
My roulette tale from 1986.
Was selling Canon copiers in Irvine just out of college.
Won a trip to Lake Tahoe by placing 10th in a sales contest where ten won a company paid skiing trip.
Had been married two years, and asked wife before leaving what her favorite number was. She said, "two."
On one of the nights, my buddy Ethan and I got really hammered while playing $10 black jack. I was up about $700, which was a lot back then, when he decided to call it a night. I was on fire and wanted to keep gambling.
So I went over to the roulette table. This was back when there wasn't a digital scoreboard posting the last 20 numbers that have been drawn like they have now.
After about ten spins, I remember that wife's number was "2." So I place $3 on two and it hits. $105!! Table went nuts.
I'm sitting at the end of the table, close to the high numbers. I notice after about ten more spins, that there is a guy sitting close to the wheel and the low numbers that is writing down the numbers that hit each time.
In my drunken state, I ask him, "What are you writing down?" He says, "I write down the numbers so I know which ones have hit so I can play the other ones." This instantly kinda of pisses me off as I know each result is independent of another and I immediately slap down $10 on two. Wheel spins and two hits. $350. In your face number writing guy! Table goes bonkers.
Now all at the table are begging me to play two again. I just shake my head and tell them that's not how this works. About 15 spins later, and pretty much all forgotten, I decide this is the time and place another $10 on two. It hits again. Another $350. I'm now up $1500 on the night. More than I made in a month back then. The pit boss now comes up to the table and starts asking me questions about where I'm from and stuff.
Next morning I wake up hungover, and see that I didn't cash out two $25 black chips. We have about 15 minutes to kill before getting on the bus to go to the airport. I play one of the $25 chips up to $200 and then lose it all in about 10 minutes. Then Ethan shouts to me that we have to get on the bus. I tell him one more play! I put the $25 black chip on #2. Or at least I try to. An inch before the chip hits the board, the lady that spins the wheel pushes my hand away and says, "no more bets, the wheel has been spun." I'm like WTF. It lands on two. She looks at me horrified. $825 down the drain. I laughed and told her I hit it three times last night. Don't worry about it as I waved goodbye and headed towards the bus.
ETA: I've done it a few times since also. Most notable was an all night poker session at the Mirage back when few places had poker. Walking back with a friend, I tell the above story as was we cross the street and get back to the Imperial Palace. As I finish the story, I notice a roulette table to my left. Walk up and place $5 on two and it hits. I collect my $175 and I buy breakfast. Another notable time was after my second WSOP trip in 2009. Had an hour to kill with a friend before we had to taxi to airport. At the point we have to leave, I tell him to watch this.... I slap $20 on two and it hits for $700. I tell him the above story on way to airport LOL.