---
title: 'The Nerds Who Beat Vegas Roulette With Science'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=A1A537Q-uIY'
video_id: 'A1A537Q-uIY'
date: 2026-07-16
duration_sec: 1007
channel: 'TILT'
---

# The Nerds Who Beat Vegas Roulette With Science

> Source: [The Nerds Who Beat Vegas Roulette With Science](https://youtube.com/watch?v=A1A537Q-uIY)

## Summary

In 1978, two physics students from the University of California, Doyne Farmer and Norman Packard, used science to beat Las Vegas roulette. They built a hidden computer to predict where the ball would land, giving them a 20% advantage over the house. Despite initial success, technical issues and casino suspicion limited their profits, and they eventually disbanded.

### Key Points

- **The Challenge** [00:00] — Two young men aim to beat roulette using physics, believing the game's fixed inputs make it predictable.
- **Data Collection** [01:30] — They visit Vegas casinos with hidden dictaphones to measure wheel and ball speeds, tapping fingers to record rotations.
- **Key Variables** [03:18] — The most influential inputs are where the ball leaves the track and the wheel's rotation position, allowing prediction of a five-number section.
- **Dorm Room Experiments** [04:24] — They ship a regulation roulette wheel to their dorm, building a 'guillotine' camera setup to capture ball landing positions over thousands of spins.
- **The Hidden Computer** [08:26] — Norman builds a custom computer strapped to the chest, controlled by a foot switch, that signals bets via electromagnetic shocks.
- **First Test** [09:51] — Doyne tests the system in a casino, winning but nearly getting caught due to sweat amplifying shocks.
- **Team Expansion** [12:11] — They recruit 20 students, forming pairs: one collects data, the other places bets to avoid suspicion.
- **The Vegas Assault** [14:12] — In August 1978, eight teams hit multiple casinos, winning $10,000 but facing equipment failures and security attention.

### Conclusion

The group disbanded after a single Vegas trip, sharing the $10,000 profit. Doyne Farmer kept the method secret until 2012, hoping others could still use it to beat casinos.

## Transcript

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