4 year math degree guy vs. 15 years experienced gambler

So which one is the better roulette player? Ken

Neither, because both would realize roulette is a horrible HE game :-P

I'll admit, mostly the reason why I avoid roulette not because of the house edge but because I don't find much entertainment in it.

Doesn't matter, the game is random. Anyone can get lucky at anytime.

As far as knowing the math, a University degree in mathematics helps. One can play a game for a thousand years without knowing or learning its math. You learn math by studying it as a discpline, not by playing games.

I'm both, but you can't be a "better" roulette player than someone else. (How would one judge "better"? Won more? That's easy, just bet bigger...)

Fair roulette is an unskilled game, in contrast with blackjack, poker, VP, etc. Knowing the math won't increase your odds of winning any given roulette bet, so to that extent it doesn't help. Math knowledge is useful in other ways, but those have little to do with roulette per se and more with general probabilities. There are rules of thumb like "don't make the 5-number bet because the EV is worse" or, on a single-zero roulette wheel with partage, "only make outside bets". But you don't need math knowledge to learn those rules. I suppose knowing probabilities might help you understand why the streak of numbers on the readerboard gives you no useful information about where to bet, and thus disabuse you of the Gambler's Fallacy, but believing in the Gambler's Fallacy doesn't actually hurt you relative to your overall handle. The only time it's a problem is when you bet more under false assumptions (like "black is due"). Then you're increasing your handle and therefore your theoretical dollar loss.

Given an unbiased single-zero wheel, every player on earth would be equally bad, as measured by the ratio of expected money lost to money bet. A Ph.D. statistics professor, or any system player, would do no better than a monkey betting randomly. Same on a double-zero wheel, as long as the 0-00-1-2-3 bet was avoided.

I'm going to say the mathematician. He doesn't have 15 years of losing money under his belt, only 4 ;)

Quote: MathExtremist

I'm both, but you can't be a "better" roulette player than someone else. (How would one judge "better"? Won more? That's easy, just bet bigger...)

Fair roulette is an unskilled game, in contrast with blackjack, poker, VP, etc. Knowing the math won't increase your odds of winning any given roulette bet, so to that extent it doesn't help. Math knowledge is useful in other ways, but those have little to do with roulette per se and more with general probabilities. There are rules of thumb like "don't make the 5-number bet because the EV is worse" or, on a single-zero roulette wheel with partage, "only make outside bets". But you don't need math knowledge to learn those rules. I suppose knowing probabilities might help you understand why the streak of numbers on the readerboard gives you no useful information about where to bet, and thus disabuse you of the Gambler's Fallacy, but believing in the Gambler's Fallacy doesn't actually hurt you relative to your overall handle. The only time it's a problem is when you bet more under false assumptions (like "black is due"). Then you're increasing your handle and therefore your theoretical dollar loss.

Hey man, if you dont like the word 'better', use whatever word makes you feel most comfortable. The question ITSELF, does not change. Ken

Quote: MathExtremist

There are rules of thumb like "don't make the 5-number bet because the EV is worse"

? Why?

((36-N)*N/38 - (38-N)*N)/38)/N = -2/38

What's special about N=5?

Or is "5-number bet" not what I think it is (betting on five numbers at once)?

Quote:

or, on a single-zero roulette wheel with partage, "only make outside bets".

What is "partage"?

I actually thought I knew everything about roulette before I found this side :) I mean what's there to know, right? :D
The only way my math degree is helping here is making sure I will never actually play roulette.

Quote: Triplell

I'm going to say the mathematician. He doesn't have 15 years of losing money under his belt, only 4 ;)

Well met!

I don't play, but that "5-number bet" I believe refers to the "First Five", i.e., 00-0-1-2-3.

See the Wizard's House Edge chart.