Do Gambling Systems and Methods Really Work?
Roulette is one of the oldest gambling games that became popular with large masses of players, especially in France, where it was invented. For those not familiar with the game, here's a short rundown on how it works: the croupier spins the wheel with 37 or 38 numbered slots, launches a ball (traditionally made of ivory) in the opposite direction of the wheel's, the ball lands in one of the numbered slots, and that number is declared a winner. Despite the game being completely random and unpredictable - it has to be, as mandated by gambling regulations - people have tried to predict its outcomes, to create "systems" and "methods" to beat the odds of the game and break the bank. But did they ever manage to beat the game and leave the casino filthy rich?
House advantage
The first thing you need to understand about casinos is that they are businesses that need to produce profits in order to stay afloat. So, even if they seem very generous with their new players, I mean, look at the Vegas Palms Las Vegas online promos, they always do their homework and make these offers in a way that ensures they always stay in the black (in accounting, red means debt and black means profit). If you take a look at the results of the independent biannual audits the Vegas Palms has to complete, you'll see that all its games have a theoretic return to player (RTP) of 95%, which means that, on average, players will end up losing about 5% of their money in the long run. This 5 % represents the casino's profit that is built into every single game.
Certified randomness
In the case of casino games, fairness means that each and every player has a guaranteed 50% chance to win each and every spin, hand, or throw. It also means that nobody - not the casino, not the players - can do anything to influence the outcome of any said spin, hand, or throw. And it's not enough for a game to be completely random - casinos have to prove that they are, otherwise they lose their operating license.
Betting systems
The most famous roulette betting system is the Martingale, which requires players to only bet on red or black and double the amount they bet every time they lose, so they will continuously end up winning back their money plus the amount of their initial bet. This happens to be the only betting system that works - in theory, at least. In practice, the bet amount grows exponentially, which means that a player would have to place a bet of $16,384 on red or black by the 15th lost bet (and such losing streaks do happen in roulette) or run out of betting money even sooner. Betting systems don't work, and don't let anyone convince you otherwise - especially those who try to sell them to you. After all, if their system would work, they would be millionaires by now, right? Instead, make sure not to worry about your potential losses, be happy for your wins, and enjoy your game - this is what it's all about.