There's been a lot of buzz lately over a story out of Sacramento California about a couple that bought an antique roulette table from the 1920's.
Some background: In 2000, Boyd and Sharon Cox bought an Evan DeLuxe Roulette Wheel that was built in the 1920's for $7,500. They kept it in storage for several years and decided to get it restored. During the restoration process, it was determined that the legs had been hollowed out and there were batteries inside about the size of orange juice cans. They realized they had bought a rigged machine.
We all hear about rigged machines, and although it may not seem like a big deal, most rigged machines were destroyed when discovered and this may be the only one in existence from this era.
The Coxes contacted the Nevada Gaming Commission who were in awe of the situation, calling it the "Bigfoot" of finds for the commission, alluding to the fact that none were thought to exist from that time period.
To discover the inner workings of the machine, the Coxes first took the game to Reno-Tahoe International Airport to be examined, but the game proved too large for the x-ray machines. They then took it to University of Nevada School of Medicine to try and get answers, but they it did not reveal the answers they were looking for.
The Coxes will be soliciting the help of master roulette craftsman Paul Tramble to get more information and to get it restored.
The Coxes are antique enthusiasts and part owners of Antiques & Treasures in Reno and both work in the gambling industry. Their ultimate goal with the table is after it is refurbished to eventually sell it. The table after it is refurbished can be worth over $250,000.
To see the article, click here.
Well, that's all for now. Thanks for stopping by!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Greats of the Game--Vol. 1
Occasionally. I will take time to talk about a famous Roulette pioneer. I will be referring to these blogs as the Greats of the Game. Today's legend Joe Jagger.
Joseph Hobson Jagger was an English engineer that pioneered the concept of team play, although it was to a lesser degree than that of the famous MIT team, the actions of Jagger were no doubt a template.
Behind Jagger's overall plan was a theory. This theory was that a roulette wheel was not perfectly balanced. Which is not a bad assumption for the 1870's. So if that was the case, the wheel would land on certain numbers more than others. So in 1873, he hired 6 people to secretly write down the winning spins at a Monte Carlo casino. The information showed that one of the roulette tables showed 9 numbers that repeatedly won. He went to the casino in 1875 and bet at that wheel. Over the next 3 days, he won £60,000. As a result, the casino moved the wheels, and for a short time, Jagger was confused and started losing. But a scratch that he had noticed on "his" wheel was missing from the normal wheel he bet on. He searched and shortly thereafter found the marked wheel and started to win again. The casino would employ more stringent tactics by moving the frets (the metal dividers between the numbers) around each day. He started losing again and then gave up, buy wound up walking away with £65,000. (Incidentally, that would be worth £3,250,000 or $6,500,000US in today's money.) He never played again.
He invested in real estate and lived out the rest of his days in comfort. he is allegedly a distant cousin of Rolling Stones frontman Sir Mick Jagger.
Well, that's all for now. Thanks for stopping by!
Joseph Hobson Jagger was an English engineer that pioneered the concept of team play, although it was to a lesser degree than that of the famous MIT team, the actions of Jagger were no doubt a template.
Behind Jagger's overall plan was a theory. This theory was that a roulette wheel was not perfectly balanced. Which is not a bad assumption for the 1870's. So if that was the case, the wheel would land on certain numbers more than others. So in 1873, he hired 6 people to secretly write down the winning spins at a Monte Carlo casino. The information showed that one of the roulette tables showed 9 numbers that repeatedly won. He went to the casino in 1875 and bet at that wheel. Over the next 3 days, he won £60,000. As a result, the casino moved the wheels, and for a short time, Jagger was confused and started losing. But a scratch that he had noticed on "his" wheel was missing from the normal wheel he bet on. He searched and shortly thereafter found the marked wheel and started to win again. The casino would employ more stringent tactics by moving the frets (the metal dividers between the numbers) around each day. He started losing again and then gave up, buy wound up walking away with £65,000. (Incidentally, that would be worth £3,250,000 or $6,500,000US in today's money.) He never played again.
He invested in real estate and lived out the rest of his days in comfort. he is allegedly a distant cousin of Rolling Stones frontman Sir Mick Jagger.
Well, that's all for now. Thanks for stopping by!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Microsoft-Changing the face of Gaming
I was browsing through the internet again, and came across this article in CNET. In the article, it talks about Microsoft's latest exploit, Microsoft Surface (also known as Project Milan) being used as a basis for a new virtual roulette table. Now, for those of you who don't know, I am a bit of a technophile. I feel that knowing the latest gaming technologies and how they work makes for an informed player. And an informed player is the basis for any winning strategy.
Since my goal on this blog is to help you with your games, let's talk a bit about Microsoft Surface. MS Surface is essentially a computer inside of a table top. The screen is the table top itself and it is controlled like a touch screen. But it is more than that. It can also be controlled with hand gestures, natural body motions or physical objects. This makes for some interesting possibilities. not just for roulette, but for other games as well. For instance, a game of craps could include "virtual dice" and with a Random Number Generator (RNG) and the motions of a persons arm, determine what was "rolled." The technology in the roulette game in the CNET article eliminates the need for chips. Casinos will eat this up since it will allow for faster game play and less labor.
But I see downsides faster gameplay tends to favor casinos. Also, this system runs on Windows Vista. Anyone that runs Vista know that on the whole, it sucks. Even Microsoft knows it sucks. Before it came out, Microsoft touted it as the last operating system (OS) that they would put out for a decade. They stated that all Vista would need is "updates" to increase capabilities. However, they quickly realized the mistake and have started on a new OS strategy tentatively called "Windows 7." They are even letting people who bought new computers to downgrade to Windows XP. So, I have my doubts the reliability of the new game with Vista controlling it.
All in all though, the concept is interesting and could be very profitable and it is definitely the future of gaming. If you are interested in reading more about the virtual roulette table, you can click here to get the information directly from the manufacturers site.
Well, that's all for now. Thanks for stopping by!
Since my goal on this blog is to help you with your games, let's talk a bit about Microsoft Surface. MS Surface is essentially a computer inside of a table top. The screen is the table top itself and it is controlled like a touch screen. But it is more than that. It can also be controlled with hand gestures, natural body motions or physical objects. This makes for some interesting possibilities. not just for roulette, but for other games as well. For instance, a game of craps could include "virtual dice" and with a Random Number Generator (RNG) and the motions of a persons arm, determine what was "rolled." The technology in the roulette game in the CNET article eliminates the need for chips. Casinos will eat this up since it will allow for faster game play and less labor.
But I see downsides faster gameplay tends to favor casinos. Also, this system runs on Windows Vista. Anyone that runs Vista know that on the whole, it sucks. Even Microsoft knows it sucks. Before it came out, Microsoft touted it as the last operating system (OS) that they would put out for a decade. They stated that all Vista would need is "updates" to increase capabilities. However, they quickly realized the mistake and have started on a new OS strategy tentatively called "Windows 7." They are even letting people who bought new computers to downgrade to Windows XP. So, I have my doubts the reliability of the new game with Vista controlling it.
All in all though, the concept is interesting and could be very profitable and it is definitely the future of gaming. If you are interested in reading more about the virtual roulette table, you can click here to get the information directly from the manufacturers site.
Well, that's all for now. Thanks for stopping by!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Getting to Know You
Ok, so you all know I gamble. I've been to Vegas, Atlantic City, New Orleans, Monte Carlo and depending on my mood, the atmosphere, and whether I think a game is soft or not, My preferences change. But most people have a favorite and I want to know what my readers think. So I am adding a poll for you to fill out and it will be active for as long as I blog, so if you are reading this in the archives, then you can still fill it out! So the question I pose to you is:
On my next blog, I will be reviewing an online progressive roulette game, so come back soon.
Thanks for stopping by!
On my next blog, I will be reviewing an online progressive roulette game, so come back soon.
Thanks for stopping by!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Welcome
Hi, my name is Tony "Dub" Stevens and I'm a gambler. I play all types of casino games and been to major casinos in the US and abroad. I will be using this as a forum to discuss all things roulette. I encourage you to read, comment and especially enjoy this new venture I am undertaking.
Today I want to talk about Rapid Roulette. I was reading an article online from the Press of Atlantic City which talked about the introduction of Rapid Roulette into New Jersey casinos. They have been in Nevada for a while now and they are gaining acceptance for their ease of use, lower table minimums for bets and of course, fast play. Faster play allows for more betting and more chances to win. The casinos love it too because it keeps electronic record of all bets, so there is little room for confusion.
My take on is that Rapid Roulette has been widely available for years. It's just called online gambling. Major casinos, such as Harrah's in this case as seeing the benefits of online gaming and they put the twist on it of having it in their facility and personalize the payouts.
I'm a huge proponent of online gaming. I spend several hours a day honing my skills online for fun and profit. And it saves me the aggravation of traveling (airlines are getting screwier and screwier with cutting back flights, overbooking and where in the hell are they getting the never to charge for 1 checked bag? Ahem...I digress.) Anyway, I will be listing sites here that I like and frequent for your amusement, so feel free to frequent them.
Well, that's all I have for now. Thanks for stopping by.
Today I want to talk about Rapid Roulette. I was reading an article online from the Press of Atlantic City which talked about the introduction of Rapid Roulette into New Jersey casinos. They have been in Nevada for a while now and they are gaining acceptance for their ease of use, lower table minimums for bets and of course, fast play. Faster play allows for more betting and more chances to win. The casinos love it too because it keeps electronic record of all bets, so there is little room for confusion.
My take on is that Rapid Roulette has been widely available for years. It's just called online gambling. Major casinos, such as Harrah's in this case as seeing the benefits of online gaming and they put the twist on it of having it in their facility and personalize the payouts.
I'm a huge proponent of online gaming. I spend several hours a day honing my skills online for fun and profit. And it saves me the aggravation of traveling (airlines are getting screwier and screwier with cutting back flights, overbooking and where in the hell are they getting the never to charge for 1 checked bag? Ahem...I digress.) Anyway, I will be listing sites here that I like and frequent for your amusement, so feel free to frequent them.
Well, that's all I have for now. Thanks for stopping by.
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