Amazing Roulette Stories | Roulette Games

We can’t emphasize enough that a roulette game, whether it is land-based or online, is a game based on pure luck and there’s no way to accurately predict what number the ball will land into. This total randomness makes roulette one of the most favourite casino games all over the world. However, despite the precarious nature of the game, there are still players who are somehow attached to certain “lucky” numbers. Why? Do they have any basis on why they particularly choose this number or sets of numbers?

We are a bunch of superstitious human beings and we can’t deny that. Almost everyone in all walks of life have this affinity to make up routines which we hope could influence the outcome of an event to our own advantage. Perhaps, it is a way in which gamblers can systematically guess the next number rather than just pulling the figures out of thin air. Regardless of the reason, at the end of the day, it all boils down to luck.

Lucky Numbers from All Over the World

Gamblers have different ways of coming up with their lucky numbers. Some pick it up from their own respective cultures. For example, Western players would look up to the power of the number seven to bring them good luck. The Chinese, however, favours numbers like six, eight, and nine, because they exude positivity. There are also people who watch out for unlucky numbers like #13, as they believe it brings bad fortune.

Aside from culture, there are individuals who based their lucky numbers on personal events or information. A lot of players tend to use the dates of their wedding anniversaries, the birthdays of their loved ones, their age, and even their house numbers or car plates.

Popular Lucky Numbers

Writing this post got me thinking, if everything in roulette is random, then how can you explain the magic of number 17? Case in hand is Mike Ashley. He is a Newcastle boss who went over to his favourite casino, wearing his football shirt with the number 17 on it and bet on the said number. In just one spin, he raked £1.3 million just by placing his chips on 17.

The pocket number 17 in a roulette wheel

We also previously mentioned the spectacular betting tale of the actor, Sean Connery, in one of his Italian casino escapades. He placed 5 consecutive bets on the fabled number, lost the first two and won the rest of the spins. Take note that the probability of him hitting the same number in the fifth spin is 50,000:1.

Such stories inspired people from across the globe to always put a bet on the number 17. When asked, croupiers would agree that the most frequently chosen number to bet on is 17, which by the way, happens to lie at the centre of the roulette game board.

Just like 7 and 17, the number 3 is also one of the favourite picks. The Latin phrase saying “omne trium perfectum” roughly means that good things come in threes. 3 primary colors, 3 bones in the human ear, 3 piece suit, the 3 Blind Mice, the 3 “Lord of the Rings” books, 3 Wise Men, 3 strikes and you’re out, need we mention more examples?

Do these numbers make sense?

In a nutshell, yes and no. Yes, in a way that it gives people more confidence when putting wagers on their lucky numbers. Even though they might lose so many times using them, a single win can erase all the failures and can further deepen the belief that this number brings them good fortune. No, because, all the 37 numbers (European roulette wheel) or 38 numbers (American roulette wheel) have the equal chance of coming up in the next spin. Like we said above, luck is what all that matters. So just enjoy and have fun on your online casino roulette game.

Roulette, among other casino games, is probably one that heavily relies on the player’s luck. It’s a love and hate relationship with the game because anything can just happen once the wheel stops. It could either be in your favor or not at all. The exhilaration this game brings earns its well-deserved nickname as the queen of casinos, both online and land-based.

A picture of a casino roulette wheel and table.

Basically, the object of roulette is for the players to predict what number the ball will land once the wheel is turned. The face of the wheel itself has different variations across continents. The European version of the game, which is also often found in Asian casinos, has only one zero, for a total of 37 spots. The American variant, on the other hand, has a single zero and a double zero, making up for 38 pockets in all.

The history of playing roulette can be traced back as early as the 17^th century, and was believed to be introduced by the French mathematician and scientist Blaise Pascal. Other interesting little known facts about the game are as follows:

Roulette had Albert Einstein scratching his head

The brightest thinker in the history of mankind was said to be intrigued by the game that he decided to formulate strategies on how to beat it. After numerous attempts, Einstein thrown in the towel and just admitted that solving the mystery of roulette was impossible.

“The only way to beat the Roulette is if you steal the money from the dealer while he is not looking,” the famous theoretical physicist was often quoted as saying.

The cases of two players who broke the bank

While still in the topic of beating the game, there were actually two separate occasions when players were able to break the wheel, but not in a way that contradicts Einstein’s aforementioned statement. The truth of the matter is, roulette follows certain laws of physics. Although it seems to be at random, to where the ball lands in a pocket is greatly determined by a lot of factors like the speed of the spinning wheel, the way the ball bounces, the nicks on the wheel, as well as the degree of its tilt. Yes, there are instances where the wheel is poorly balanced or seated. Such mishaps can be taken advantage of by roulette connoisseurs like Joseph Jagger, in 1873. A mechanic by trade, the man who happens to have a keen eye on how things work, reportedly paid a number of people to spot for him defective roulette wheels in casinos. He then used the information to help him win big money.

Charles Devile Wells was said to have followed the latter’s footsteps and managed to broke Monte-Carlo Casino. His great feat inspired the song “The Man who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo.”

The number 17
The pocket number 17 in a roulette wheel

MI6’s own James Bond is quite a gambler himself. As part of his clandestine work, Agent 007 can sometimes be found in roulette tables, placing his bets on his favorite number believed to be 17. Such influence brought forth the aptly-called James Bond betting system. It is a flat betting system where a player wagers the same amount for every round.

“The Devil’s Wheel”

The numbers on the roulette wheels, starting from 1-36, interestingly add up to 666, which is said to be the “Number of the Beast.” Legend has it that Francois Blanc (the operator of Monte Carlo Casino) bargained with the devil to obtain the secrets of the game.

Should I go for the European roulette or the American-style table?
Example layout of an American roulette table

This is one of the most common questions asked by new players, and veterans of the game would outright say to look for European tables as it offer better odds to players than its American counterpart which, as mentioned above, has extra 00 number. The house edge on an American roulette is 5.26% while the other kind of table has 2.7%.

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