Life is But a Game of Chance
Why not step up and spin a roulette wheel?
Howdy! It’s Joey, back with more Fun Fact Friyay. Today’s fact was told there would be no math, and it was wildly misinformed.
If you add up all the numbers on a roulette wheel, the total is 666.
The roulette wheel is one of the most recognizable images in a casino. And it seems very exciting, doesn’t it? You pick a number, take a spin, and get a big payout if it lands on your number.
European roulette wheels are numbered from 0-36, totaling 37 spaces. American wheels also throw in a 00, so there’s an extra chance for you to walk away with nothing. How kind.
I admittedly have never played roulette. I’ve only been inside a casino probably a half-dozen times. I’m either playing the slots if I want to throw my money away, or I’m playing blackjack if I want to feel like I have some control in throwing my money away.
One of my casino adventures was during a friend’s bachelor party. Half of our group went to go play blackjack; the other half headed to the roulette table.
We were on our third hand of blackjack when the roulette group came back and said they were done playing. They had lost their money incredibly quickly.
Meanwhile, all of us playing blackjack left with more money than when we started.
That lone experience has led me to believe that roulette is one of the least advantageous games to bet on. The math sort of backs it up, I guess?
Blackjack gives you a 49-51% chance to win, using basic strategy and knowing when to hit, stay, and run for the hills. Do not borrow your game plan from Austin Powers.
Pardon My Plug
Interrupting real quick to share a quick plug for Viator, which is my favorite way to learn about and book experiences on trips when I go traveling or adventuring around my hometown.
For instance, last month I took a trip to Poland. Did you know the city of Wroclaw has over 1,000 gnome sculptures? (It’s okay if you didn’t. It’s going to be in a future edition of Fun Fact Friyay).
Anyway, I used Viator to book multiple experiences around the country. I got to explore the Bochnia Salt Mine, I took a pierogi making class, and I indulged in a walking tour around Krakow, which included seeing a giant metal dragon breathing fire. And they say magic isn’t real!
It’s true, if you book an experience through Viator, I get a small commission because affilitate links, babyyyy. But it doesn’t cost you anything extra. In fact, it costs you less, since every booking gives you rewards that you can use for next booking. Ain’t nothing wrong with that! Give it a try yourself.
European roulette gives the player a 48.65% chance of winning, while American roulette offers a 47.37% chance, assuming you just bet on a color instead of a specific number (which has a smaller payout).
Still, it seems like playing roulette comes with a thrill that other games don’t offer, so I get why people will bet it all on black or red or a particular number.
If you’re watching such a spectacle unfold (or perhaps participating in it yourself), you might take a break to count up all the numbers on the wheel. And if you add all those numbers together, from 0 to 36, the sum is 666.
You may know that “666” is “the number of the beast,” which is commonly associated with the devil.
And would you look at that: The nickname for roulette is called the “Devil’s wheel.” There’s also a 666 strategy for the game that can help increase your chances of winning. Everything’s coming full circle!
Whether or not you head to a casino this next week, I hope you have some good luck enter your life.