CHANCE AND SKILL: A STUDY OF ROULETTE

The paper deals with the problem of how people handle random events. Many accounts of the chance element in games and many attempts at general explanations of gambling assume that the actor accepts the events as unpredictable and passively awaits the outcome. A study of people playing roulette in a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sociology (Oxford) 1974-09, Vol.8 (3), p.407-426
Main Author: Oldman, David
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Betting
Casinos
Caterpillars
Chance/Chances
Contests
Entertainment
Fees
Gamble/Gambling/Gambler/Gamblers
Gambling
Games
Lotteries
Roulette
Skill/Skills/Skilled
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Summary:The paper deals with the problem of how people handle random events. Many accounts of the chance element in games and many attempts at general explanations of gambling assume that the actor accepts the events as unpredictable and passively awaits the outcome. A study of people playing roulette in a gaming club suggests that this is far from the case. Playing roulette can be seen as an exercise in 'skill' which depends upon the construction and maintenance of predictive theories. One form of theorizing attributes causal efficacy to the croupier and the game becomes a contest between croupier and player. This is reinforced by the croupiers as they attempt to manipulate their working conditions and status. Players may then adopt a non-arithmetic calculus of win and loss which confirms their theorizing. Losses are the 'entrance fee' to a public entertainment, whilst wins are evidence of a successful working strategy.
ISSN:0038-0385
1469-8684
DOI:10.1177/003803857400800304