I dropped by my chiropractor's office this morning, and while he was popping my neck back into place he told me about wandering past a roulette table and seeing by the reader board that red had come up nine straight times. So, he took out a few bills and bet on black.
Red came back again. More bills, more red. More bills - and green (zero spun). He finally quit when the entire reader board was all red and green. Bummer to be on the wrong side of that streak!
However, the thing to remember is that the little spinning ball has no memory. It doesn't matter if red came up ten times in a row or not. The next spin is independent from the last. The odds at roulette stay at 5.26 in favor of the house every spin, unless the wheel is biased.
And, it's not like my doctor doesn't know that, but there's always that little voice in the back of your head that says, "Sure, but look at that streak, the other side has to come up now! But of course, it doesn't. Only blackjack odds change - because cards are removed from play, and that's why you can actually have the edge at times in 21 and exploit it by counting cards.
However, for most roulette players, the fun is in playing a betting system that takes advantage of certain streaks or patterns. They don't change the house advantage, they enhance your winnings when a favorable streak occurs.
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