| Even though our numbers came up a tiny bit more often than we'd expect on average, we'd still lose $128 in this trial. Essentially, the results of this trial are close enough to the mathematical expectation that we can say the odds held up. Instead of once per 38 spins, our numbers turned up once per 37.3. In a short test like this, that difference isn't worth worrying about. So what good do the boards that track recent roulette results do us? Not much, in terms of helping us devise winning systems. But they do enhance enjoyment of the game. It can be fun to try to ride a hot number and see if maybe we can luck into a wheel with a real bias. Perhaps there's a slight track worn on the wheel, or unevenly sized frets between numbers are causing some numbers to occur more often than expected by random chance. That's not going to happen very often at a casino that is at all diligent about maintenance of its wheels. Most of the time, we're going to be playing on wheels at which any given number has a 1-in-38 chance of turning up on any given spin. We can always hope to hit a streak, but don't expect past results to help us see into the future. Edges like those, with the house keeping as much as a quarter out of every dollar wagered, are reminiscent of that other old carnival game that made its way into casinos, the Big Six wheel, or money wheel. Big Six is not as rare as chuck-a-luck, and it is licensed for casino play in Illinois and Indiana, although the only current money wheel in the Chicago area is at Majestic Star in Gary. A vertical gaming wheel is divided into slots in which currency is placed, and the player can bet on the wheel landing on any denomination. There are 24 stops with a $1 bill, which pay even money; 15 with $2, which pay 2-1; seven with $5, which pay 5-1; four with $10, which pay 10-1; two with $20, which pay 2-1, and two with special symbols, such as a joker and a casino logo, which pay 40-1. House edges are out of sight--11.1 percent on $1, 16.7 percent on $2, 18.5 percent on $10, 22.2 percent on either $5 or $20, and 24.1 percent on the special symbols. That's not a game a percentage player would choose. But maybe those house edges go down easier with a little cotton candy. |
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