Related article: [July that every system must fail, must ipso facto also insist that there is some definite cause to bring about this failure, which will be found to be the inevitable run of non- success, or so-called bad luck, against which they are unable to stand, even though backed with capital ; for in the case of the roulette table that is useless against the maximum. A fitting tribute to the strength of the said maximum as '< a line of defence " is paid in the reply Purchase Risperidone Online of one of the Rothschilds to the query why he did not play by the proprietor of the tables, " Remove your maximum, M. Blanc, and I will play as long as you like." Yet another tale showing that even M. Blanc did not know the lawless pranks of his own tables, or what they might do, and told me by one still alive and present with him when it occurred. On a certain evening years ago they were standing looking on at one of the tables at Monte Carlo. Up to it came a certain Russian princess, a great gambler, accom- panied by a gentleman, and began playing a louis en plein on number 31, which repeated itself three times. Then noticing M. Blanc, with whom she was ac- quainted, she came up and asked permission to exceed the maxi- mum (9 louis) on the next stake. It was granted, though to what amount my memory fails me. SujSice to say, the number con- tinued to repeat itself, and after its sixth reappearance the lady asked, " Now, M. Blanc, what will you allow me to put on ? " Fairly on his mettle, and in the full belief of the infallibility of his system (the table), he replied, " Princess, the Bank of France, if you had it." She wanted to accept the challenge and risk a large sum, but was persuaded not to by her companion, with the result that 31 again appeared, and established a fresh "record" for the tables. This is, as I have said, a true tale, and worthy of all accepta- tion — one to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest, as proving that though the actual odds against an event happening at the tables may be hundreds of millions, this eccentric law of chance occasionally " lands " them, and so laughs at any so- called system founded on its in- ability to perform a certain act as judged from what has gone before. Let us ask the table itself for its opinion, and hear what it has to say. In a recent article on the subject, the writer states that red is recorded to have turned up 28 times in succession at Monte Carlo, and that ** the odds against this event are more than 268 mil- lions to I." Were the tables to lay these tempting odds, I think at the 28th spin the red would still have a fair following, but un- fortunately they reduce them to evens. But conversely, surely they are somewhat liberal. If in a race where only two horses start the odds against the non-favourite are, say 9 to 4, it means that as regards the fa- vourite the odds are 2 to i on. Similarly, it might be argued, if the odds are 268 millions to i against red turning up the 28th time in succession, surely it ought to be not merely a slight shade » but a big cloud of odds on black doing so. But the tables ask for none such, and are quite prepared to accept ** evens," even to the maximum. Here we have their answer, and what value they put on latest " form " as a guide to finding winners at their "meet- ing," and also a death-blow to any system which is based on the fact of some particular chance 1900.] THE LAW OF AVERAGE V. THE LAW OF CHANCE. 13 being en retard, or any similar delusive foundation. In the article above-mentioned are given as examples of these gambling systems the well-known progressions, the tiers et tout, the tTAlembert (montant et descendant), and the so-called Labouchere, which the writer points out are worthless, having no valid foun- dation. These certainly are gambles, but equally certainly they are not systems. My dic- tionary tells me the word ** system " means a method. In one and all of these, and all similar examples, I can find no method except in the madness of their gambling powers, and one and all are solely dependent for success on so-called Inck, a factor none of them can command at will. Hear what De Moivre has to say about this same luck which has so much to answer for in this world : — " The doctrine of chances may likewise be a help to cure a kind of superstition which has been of long standing in the world, viz., that there is in play such a thing as luck, good or bad. I own there are a great many judicious people who, without any other assistance than that of their own reason, are satisfied that the notion of luck is merely chimerical, yet I conceive that the ground they have to look apon it as such may still be further enforced from some of the following Generic Risperidone considerations. "If by saying a man has had good luck nothing more was meant than that he was generally a gainer at play, the expression might be allowed as being proper m a short way of speaking, b*ut if the word * good luck * be understood to signify a certain predominant quality, so inherent in a man that he must win whenever he plays, or at least win oftener than lose, it may be denied that there is any such thing in nature. ** The asserters of such are very sure from their own experience that at some time they have been very lucky, and that at other times they have had a prodigious run of ill luck against them, which whilst it continued obliged them to be very cautious in en- gaging with the fortunate ; but how chance should produce those extraordinary events is what they cannot conceive. They would be glad, for instance, to be satisfied how they could lose fifteen games together at piquet if ill luck had not strangely prevailed against them. But if they Purchase Risperidone will be pleased to consider the rules delivered in this book, they will see that though the odds against their doing so are very great, viz., 32,767 to I, yet that the possi- bility of it is not destroyed by the greatness of the odds, there being one chance in 32,768 that it may so happen, from whence it follows that it was still possible to come to pass without the intervention of