It's 1978 and two young men wearing white shirts , walk into a Las Vegas casino technology is simple and roulette is the most popular casino game . everybody thinks is completely random it's an unbeatable game however these two nerds are , using science to challenge the status quo and everything we know about roulette is bound by , the laws of physics it's a true story like no other a story that started on a college campus . a few years before two students are preparing to to study Physics at the University of California . in their spare time like many other kids of their age they're interested in art music literature . and free love it's the era of experimentation but one of them is experimenting with something a little different he's interested in Casino games in particular beating roulette he's got dreams , to be a world-renowned physicist one day so at first it's not about money his line of thinking . is simple roulette's inputs are fixed so the outcome can't be random it will be a lot of work but solving roulette will boost his chances of reaching his dream to do it though he'll need help so he entrusts his closest physics friend with his plans at first he's apprehensive although after . several deep discussions and the possibility of making millions he's on board the only question is can science really beat Las Vegas roulette to find out they need to study and measure the game's fixed variables inside of Vegas Casino the roulette wheels Dimensions the ball speed and the wheels rotation are the first variables of Interest they're aware that the , casinos might not like their science experiment so they wear baggy long sleeve shirts on their . first visit to conceal dictaphone discreetly held around the wrist this first visit is all about collecting roulette data and understanding how casinos operate quickly they learned that Vegas . casinos use BC Wills regulation roulette wheels roulette is one of the most most popular games in casinos because it's so simple gamblers can bet on red black or numbers 1 to 36 when a ball is spun . around the wheel the house Edge on an American roulette wheel which contains a0 is 5.26% it's a , key piece to the puzzle because whatever Casino they visit they know the wheels will be identical , however with different croupiers in different spins each time they need to find an accurate way of tracking the Wheels speed this is where the dict phone comes in by tapping an index finger . on the recording mechanism each time the wheel spins past a fix point in the room they're able , to quantify it spin speed similarly when the ball spins around the roulette wheel they'll do exactly . the same suddenly they now have two data sets for both ball speed and wheel speed better still they can measure how the wheel speed decreases over additional rotations and just maybe where the ball will eventually land rouette is becoming more predictable by the second but these early stages , are full of obstacles from hiding the equipment to tapping the microphone at the wrong time in practice it's awkward and complicated however the theory is Sound by mapping out all of roulette's inputs and testing them over a large enough sample repeat patterns start to emerge patterns that , weren't obvious to the naked eye quickly it becomes clear that two inputs are by far the most . influential where the leaves the roulette wheels out of track and the wheels position of rotation , as that happens at this stage they realize if the inputs are accurate they can identify a section of five numbers where the ball will land now it won't guarantee the exact number each time but . it will give them a massive Advantage if their math is right they're seven times more likely to select the correct number but to record the relevant information in a casino and then act upon it in a matter of seconds is no small task a task that's made more difficult by their already inadequate financial situation getting this wrong will see them go bust very quickly they need to be absolutely certain they need to Source their own BC Wills roulette whe so they can carry , out further tests and refine the data fortunately Las Vegas roulette wheels are manufactured by a , small independent supplier pulls gaming devices finding a BC Wills roulette wheel is easier than . they thought immediately they get one shipped to to their dorm room at the University of California , the plan is to fit the roulette will with a series of triggers and recording mechanisms using sound and photography so they can record exactly where the ball is and where the ball lands over a series , of thousands of spins but there's a problem the Port of Oakland have prohibited shipping for , the roulette will it's being held temporarily at the container facility and further information . has been requested by the shipping company DNE immediately jumps in the car and makes a 3-hour . drive on arrival he's greeted with an extremely awkward situation two FBI officers have the crate . and they want to know why he's shipping a Vegas roulette wheel across the country clearly they think he's operating an illegal gambling operation at the time there are significant restrictions . pertaining to Interstate gambling why are you shipping Casino equipment what are you planning to do with it you know gambling is legal right their questions are Relentless but after a couple . of hours the very anxious physics student is free to leave it appears the FBI have bought into his cover story he's told them that it's an antique collector's item that won't be used

for gambling later that night he sets up the roulette will in his dorm room now they're getting somewhere now they can run live experiments on the exact roulette wheels the Las Vegas casinos use a year after they started DNE farmer and Norman Packard are now sinking all of their spare time into studying roulette and probability to them they're on the cusp of something big very big but to some of their friends it's complete Madness the obsession has started to impact D's , academic scores to the point where he has to take a year out but to him it's totally worth it his , plans to beat roulette are going to make them Rich to pull in additional help and raise funding they officially registered their own company the name emonic Enterprises it's a strong hint at their , philosophical Outlook they don't just want to beat the casino they want to use the proceeds to start , their own commune and reject the restrictions of society back in the dorm room they've erected . a set of metal poles tape wires and create a towering structure over their roulette will it's . nicknamed the guillotine the structure's purpose is to take photos of the whe at the perfect moment at a 90° angle over the center of the wheel is a camera linked to the camera is an oscilloscope to keep track of motion a microphone will trigger the camera's shutter at the precise moment the ball , falls off the roulette wheels out of track then once the ball settles the numbers and image are . recorded together the guillotine allows them to accurately measure the numerical distribution , of the wheel in line with where the ball had moved it's genius after refining the process and collecting multiple data sets they soon realized that they now have a system that allows them to model and track any roulette wheel after tracking it for around about 30 minutes to maintain , accuracy they had to collect this data while the whe is in play inside the casino Beyond this , there are only four variables left to factor in on a spin by spin basis all of which are controlled . by the creier they have to identify the position the wheel is in the speed the rotor is turning , at the location of the ball and the speed of the ball this solution is relatively simple in theory , although tougher in practice by monitoring when a number on the wheel passes a fixed point in the , room and then passes it again they have both the position the wheel is in and the speed the rotor , is turning at simultaneously monitoring when the ball passes the same fixed Point twice in a row , they have the location of the ball and its speed the hardest part is discretely collecting all , of this information and then quickly running the calculations it seems almost impossible but . they've come so far so there's only one solution a computer with D's computer programming experience they de side is worth a shot writing the program isn't the hard part though hiding a small but reliable computer under their clothes is as far as they're aware nobody has managed this before the consequences of being caught are potentially disastrous in 1975 Las Vegas is run by the mob the . law is the least of their worries after several trials and many failures Norman has custom built , the hardware the computer's main circuit board will be strapped to the players chest with thin , wires running down the inside of the trouser leg where a simple switch will be taped to the inside of their shoe this is how they'll control the data entry following the data inputs that are made , their secret computer will run a formula involving trigonometric functions after it's processed , the calculations it'll then signal back where they should be but with a low budget they're running on favors and donations from Friends the computer's outputs will be managed via a small . electromagnetic device taped to the player's chest next to the computer's m motherboard it's , not ideal but they've sourced these pads from a psychology experiment on campus the whole . computer will be powered by batteries stashed on the player's side under their armpit at last their dream is about to become a reality they're ready for their first hit they're ready to beat Vegas , roulette with science on a cold winter afternoon in 1977 a very nervous D farmer steps into a , Las Vegas casino despite the cold weather he's already broken a sweat he picks a roulette table sits down and starts betting low stakes it takes a while but eventually he settles into a rhythm . gently tapping his secret input switch twice to track the wheel's rotation and twice to track the , ball speed on his chest the computer immediately gets to work it twinges back sending mild shocks , across his chest the system is working from start to finish he has around 12 to 18 seconds to input . the data receive the signal and place the bet it's awkward but the advantage is clear they've given . themselves a 20% advantage over the house but he's nervous and sensible so he keeps the stakes low it isn't long before he finds himself chuckling the chips are starting to build up he's making money . but with money comes attention he's noticed a man holding a radio in the background he suspects , it's a casino Pit Boss it's an unexpected turn although currently he has a bigger problem to worry about amongst the excitement of winning and the nerves of using a hidden computer DNE has , worked up quite a sweat the sweat is amplifying the shocks the computer makes on his body he . doesn't want to adjust the computer at the table that would be obvious so he makes a break for the restroom the casino Pit Boss follows him in it's his worst nightmare what now is he about to get ,

caught hidden in the toilet cubicle he holds his breath and gently peels the computer's Electro . magnetic shock pad from his chest he's sweating profusely and now he's questioning if this was even a good idea the crackle of the pit boss's radio breaks the silence he's being called to an emergency elsewhere in the casino relief with the computer's output hanging under his shirt he makes a break for the casino's cashier and then the exit it's a closed call but he's got away . with it and now he knows their system works he just needs to scale up the the stakes and find a , creative way to hit Vegas casinos hard in order to make millions of dollars Norman and DNE know they must expand the team hitting the casinos in pairs is the idea one player to collect roulette data and Signal which numbers are hot and another to place bets for example if the data taker bets . on even it means the wheel has been accurately profiled they know Casino staff pull consistent , winners aside for questioning so it will take the heat away from and the player wearing the , computer under their shirt plus it means the better doesn't have to concentrate too much they , can chat with the creier and hold his attention within weeks they've bought 20 other science , students into the fold they promis to evenly distribute profits amongst the group and fund a . scientific Community if it works given the era's social views it's a Savvy move at this point the company has spent its initial $10,000 investment on experiments and equipment to beat the casino . they don't have a huge bank roll to use so the plan is to start small and gradually increase , the stakes as the chips build up but it leaves one question on everyone's mind what if we get caught Norman explains that it's extremely unlikely because the computer will only predict a five . number section of the wheel to bet on therefore the player placing the bets will put down multiple . bets on the roulette table the bets will be spaced out because they're not next to each other like . on the wheel it means their betting patterns will look totally random to the casino cupia plus . technically speaking their system's perfectly legal being physics nerds that have barely set , foot in a Vegas casino before it seems like a reasonable answer I mean those greedy casinos make . enough money already right their aim is to launch a Las Vegas assault over the summer break in the , months leading up to it between cramming for exams they need to assemble more computers and put their , new recruits through some serious practice their actions need to be second nature seamlessly . operating each roulette hit one after another he a challenging phase with new equipment problems and Norman thinks they're moving too fast but D won't have it their Las Vegas . fantasy is no longer a dream it's August of 1978 and 16 Babyface physics students have arrived . in Las Vegas they're paired into eight roulette beating squads it's been an exhausting last week and tension is running high within the group but they're finally ready as they step under the Vegas lights there's a quiet anticipation backed by a mixture of adrenaline and nerves they spread out targeting different casinos at the same time Do's pair go to Harris and Normans hit the Silver Nugget the data collection begins and the bets start to follow first is $2 bets then five . followed by seven things are going well in the first hour D's team is up $1,200 equivalent to . $77,000 in today's money the seven other teams scattered around Vegas are attempting to do the same the feeling is euphoric until Casino security begin to laer nearby this beginner's luck from a . couple of young hippies hasn't gone unnoticed they stick out like a sore thumb amongst the casino's regular clientele after an evening's play the wi team regroup amongst the pairs there are several , concerns about angryl looking Casino staff this is not the problem that they had envisioned one , of the other team's data takers has been sweating heavily much like D's first is it the damage . is worse though she's lost several layers of skin from repeat electromagnetic shocks a little , blood stains her blows there's multiple complaints about the malfunctioning equipment in an era of , primitive technology it's problematic with broken wires electric shars and the threat of being dragged into a back room tension amongst the group intensifies Norman blames D's persistent pressure to rush ahead but DNE can only think about staking bigger if all of the teams had reached $50 Stakes they'd be sitting on quar of a million dollars now the risk of a running with Casino . security might seem worthwhile then they huddle together in a Vagas parking lot to count the money . undoubtedly they've found a way to scientifically beat Vegas roulette but it's only generated $10,000 profit and a whole load of problems they face a conundra reinvest the lot Source , more equipment and go again or call it quits share out the profit and remain friends long into . the future I'm glad to say after much reflection Professor DNE farmer Norman Packard and this , band of Misfits decide to take option two in 2012 DNE broke his silence on exactly how it was . done he said I kept it silent because I didn't want to communicate any information that might prevent anyone from taking the casino's money,

The Nerds Who Beat Vegas Roulette With Science