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