02 Mathematics
The mathematics of the games
The ideas that explain why, in the long run, the house keeps a share of the stakes.
- Betting systemsMartingale, reverse Martingale, D'Alembert and Fibonacci, explained mathematically, and why no staking system changes the average result.
- House edge and RTPWhat the house edge and RTP mean, how the average result of a bet is calculated, and why RTP is a long-run average rather than a promise.
- Probability basicsThe basic ideas of probability applied to games of chance: equally likely outcomes, counting, complementary events, independence, the average.
- The gambler's fallacyWhy past results do not change the next chance in roulette, dice or lotteries. Independence, streaks, numbers that are due and near misses.
- Variance and the law of large numbersVariance, standard deviation and the law of large numbers, explained on roulette: why a session can end ahead while the long run cannot.