Marcus Reid

Editorial byline: game mathematics and strategy

What appears under this byline follows one rule: a figure is either traceable to something a reader can open — a game’s own information screen, a published rule set, an operator’s terms — or it is described as an illustration rather than asserted as fact. Mathematical properties of games are reported as properties and never as predictions about a session. Any claim that a system, a pattern or a mindset can overcome a house edge is treated as a misconception and explained as one. Where a number cannot be verified, it is not printed.

The house edge is a fixed property of a game, and no amount of technique moves it. What technique can do is change how long a bankroll lasts and how clearly you see what a session actually cost — which is worth more than any promise of an edge.