One of the most famous hot streaks in casino gambling occurred in 1873 at the legendary Beaux-Arts Casino in Monte Carlo, Monaco, when Joseph Jagger entered the casino on July 7th and began placing bets on nine specific numbers on the roulette wheel. Before long, Jagger had won about half a million francs.
While this was impressive in itself, Jagger continued for three days, until finally he worked his total to close to two million francs, with other gamblers copying his bets to take advantage of the streak.
HOT STREAK EXPOSED
Alas, as Monte Carlo casino personnel quickly discovered, Jagger’s hot streak was due to more than simple good fortune. Joseph Jagger had worked for years on a theory that some roulette wheels were biased due to the balance of the wheel. He had sent advance scouts to record the outcomes of the wheel spins and had discovered a specific bias on one of the wheels towards the nine numbers he was playing.
HOT STREAK ENDED
Casino personnel moved the bad wheel, but after a brief losing streak, Jagger realized what had happened. Armed with this new knowledge, he hunted for his old wheel. Jagger managed to find it and rack up more wins. Finally, the casino made alterations in the wheel itself, changing it every day, and Joseph Jagger’s hot streak was finally over. He took with him his millions of francs and a story that made him a legend as a “Man who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo.”
