Can you really beat roulette with science?

 You can beat science roulette.

We've seen many articles that claim scientists or physicists have discovered a way "to beat roulette". You may have heard of numerous attempts by physicists to beat the casino. It's 2018 and it's almost 2019, so this task shouldn't seem so difficult.

Before we can go into the how and what if's, we must first understand how the game is played. We also need to understand how physics can play a key role in beating the popular game of Roulette.

Rules of Roulette & Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion

Roulette is not a game you need to master. However, it is worthwhile to take the time to understand the game as well as learn a strategy. Only one thing you should know is how to place your stakes. The croupier spins the wheel in one direction, and the ball in the opposite direction in a game known as roulette.

The next step is to place bets about where the ball will land. Players can choose one number or a range of numbers. You should note that we are talking about land-based roulette. Although the same rules apply to online roulette, it is a different game because the numbers are generated automatically by software.

However, simple physics can be applied to land-based games. How? We can do this because of Newton's laws. The ball's trajectory to the number slots is not difficult to predict. However, it can be predicted when it will leave the rim. If one could accurately predict the outcome, it would be possible to note the exact location of the ball before it is released. One can also calculate the relative speeds between the ball and the wheel as the croupier puts it in motion.

While we cannot predict the exact number of the ball landing in each area, we can predict where it will land on the wheel. This can give you a huge advantage over the casino, sometimes even more than 40 percent.

Albert "Al” Hibbs & Roy Walford (1940s).

Forbes reported that two college friends, Albert "Al" Hibbs (maths graduate student) and Roy Walford (medical student), decided to tackle a new challenge in the late 1940s when they visited Nevada's casinos. This was the only state where legal gambling was allowed at the time. They visited several casinos to examine the properties of the roulette wheels and try to find weaknesses.

The wheels of those times were often less well made than they are today, and sometimes had defects. Students knew that these defects were the key to successful prediction. Students quickly built predictive models and won thousands of dollars. A lot of their winnings was used to purchase a boat and sail around all over the world. They made their story public years later. And, as you can guess, casinos soon began to upgrade their equipment.

Edward Thorp (1950s)

Thorp was inspired by the successes of Walford, Hibbs, and Walford. But this time, he faced a more difficult task. The roulette wheels at the casinos had no discernible defects so he had to create a new strategy. Thorp was able to create the first "wearable", computer that could be worn under a shirt. This computer was powerful enough that it could record details such as the speed at which the wheel spins, the time when the ball is launched and then make the necessary calculations to predict where the ball will land. This computer would transmit this information to another person, who was also a participant in a game, via radio. It is no surprise that Thorp is known as "the man who beats the casino".

Doyne Farmer & Colleagues (1970s).

Farmer and his fellow colleagues attempted to make the most of the technology they had at the time. Two people had computers with different functions. The computer, which was embedded in the shoe of each person, was the brain of the entire operation. It calculated the speed of the wheel, the ball, and predicted where it would land. These predictions were then transmitted via signals to the person who wore the other computer. Using Roulette Strategies to Beat the Casinos