We’ve all see the movies where the dealer presses a button to make the ball land in a losing number. In reality it is very difficult for land-based casinos to cheat as in most countries where gaming takes place casinos are subject to strict controls. Measures that are in place include the checking of gaming equipment by impartial third parties and the licensing of premises and staff. Failure to comply with strict codes of practice usually results in a casino losing its license.

A lot of concern has been raised about the honesty of online casinos. If you want to bet online its best to stick to government licensed casinos.

Has anyone else apart from ‘the Man who Broke the Bank at Monte-Carlo’ broken the bank at a casino?

Breaking the bank in a casino means that all the chips in the table’s float have been paid out to the customers. It doesn’t mean that the casino is bankrupt. When Charles Deville Wells broke the bank a dozen times at Monte Carlo in 1891, the table would be covered in a black cloth to attract lots of attention. This would create a great deal of excitement among the patrons and encourage people to start betting. Nowadays its not unusual for the bank to broken on a table. When it happens, the float is quickly re-filled with the minimum of fuss to keep the games running.

Why is double zero roulette a bad deal for players?

By adding an extra zero, the casino doubles it’s profit. The odds paid for single zero roulette and double zero roulette are exactly the same. This means that those playing double zero roulette are getting a worse deal as there are more numbers on the wheel. Single zero roulette has 37 compartments (the 36 numbers plus zero) whereas double zero roulette has 38 compartments (the 36 numbers plus two zeros). Both games pay odd of 35/1 for a winner. If you bet one chip on each number on single zero roulette it would cost you 37 chips. The same bet on double zero roulette would cost 38 chips. Since you’d only get back 36 chips for the winning number, you’d lose 1 chip on the single roulette bet and 2 on the double roulette. Double roulette therefore costs you twice as much to play as single zero roulette.

It is possible to find a dealer signature?

This very much depends on the individual dealers. Some spin the ball completely randomly and its impossible to find any pattern to their spins. Other dealers are not so conscientious. They get into the habit of making the same movements when they spin the ball with only a few variations. Finding a dealer who’s spin you can predict involves hours of record taking noting spins and analysing the results.

Does the Martingale system work?

This is a system where bets are doubled on the next spin to recoup losses. The problem is that casinos impose limits on the maximum bets. This means that as soon as you reach the limit, you can no longer double your bets and the system fails.

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