April 28, 2023, 10:30 PM
April 28, 2023, 10:30 PM
It is often thought that winning a game of chance is an impossible task. And it is that the complexity of the variables at stake makes it difficult to believe that someone can find the magic formula to win at random. However, this does not mean that we should underestimate the pull that many have in trying to figure out a way to overcome it. After all, the promise of a great fortune can be too tempting.
Inspired by his desire to achieve success in gambling, Niko Tosa, a Croatian math and physics savant, according to the press, has embarked on a journey around the world in search of victory in one game in particular: roulette. According to a report from Bloomberg, Tosa has managed to win this game without the help of computers, relying solely on his skill and experience.
Winnings at the Ritz Club London casino
In 2004, Niko Tosa (pseudonym) had an extended stay at London’s prestigious Ritz Club casino, where he sat at a roulette table and won tens of thousands of pounds every night, becoming the most successful player the manager had ever seen. never.
According to the report of BloombergTosa and two accomplices took a meticulous approach, carefully watching the ball oscillate for approximately seven seconds before placing their strategic bets, distributing them among up to 15 carefully selected numbers.
Although they did not manage to win every time, they did accumulate an astonishing amount of money, reaching millions in all. This amazing consistency in his winnings aroused the attention of the casino, the media and law enforcement authorities, who launched extensive investigations to uncover the secret behind his success.
The investigation showed that Tosa and his colleagues did not cheat and that, under ideal conditions, it was possible to win the game, as long as the wheel itself was perfect. Surprisingly, it’s not the perfection you’re used to: according to Bloombergthese perfect conditions are, in fact, imperfections of some kind.
“In a perfect wheel, the ball would always fall randomly. But over time, wheels develop defects, which become patterns,” the report reads.
Thus, a wheel that is tilted, even slightly, can become more predictable, creating a “drop zone” where the ball is more likely to land. “A drop zone is the Achilles heel of roulette,” he continues. Bloomberg.
“You can call me Nikola Tesla,” Tosa told the outlet, when, after being tracked down in Croatia, he was asked if he had ever used some kind of computing machine to beat the unbeatable game. “If only I had such a device!” Tosa continued.
The question is not entirely far-fetched, as knowledge of the “drop zone” has previously been used to develop devices capable of predicting where a ball will land. A physicist named Doyne Farmer, who was interviewed by Bloomberg and has created such a device suggests that someone may have accomplished this feat without help.
“I think it’s conceivable that someone could do what we do without a computer,” Farmer said, “as long as the wheel is tilted and the rotor isn’t moving too fast,” he added.
Everything indicates that Tosa will continue adding successes in his “fight” against chance, sometimes even resorting to false documents and disguises. According to BloombergAt the end of his interview, Tosa asked a specific question: when would the story be published? The reason for this curious question was planning an upcoming international trip, in which he wanted to avoid being discovered.
Edited by Felipe Espinosa Wang.
