“Never tell me the odds.” If you love Star Wars, then this quote is for you. Han Solo is the coolest character in all of SciFi. A man who defies the odds over and over again. I often wonder why he never took up Space Roulette.

Speaking of roulette, let’s not forget James Bond, one of the most famous roulette players. Smugglers and spies love to gamble. And so do I, if we are being honest. Don’t worry; I’m always smart about it. Before we get into the glory of roulette, here are a few rules to live by when it comes to gambling:

1. Only play with what you can afford to lose.

2. Once the money is gone, it’s time to move on.

3. Never gamble on a boat (see rule 2).

4. When you win, take half and put it aside for future gambling.

5. Only gamble when you want to, never if you feel the need to or have to.

6. Keep a log of your wins and losses.

7. If you win big, pay your taxes, it’s easier that way.

Bond. James Bond.

Yes, it is true: the International Man of Mystery loves to gamble. You might know from the movies that he loves baccarat and poker and likes his martinis shaken, not stirred. While these are true if you read the books, it turns out that his favorite drink is scotch and soda, and his game of choice is, in fact, roulette.

You might think that roulette is a game of chance, and logic would agree. According to the Law of Large Numbers, “the average of the results obtained from a large number of independent random samples converges to the true value if it exists. More formally, the LLN states that given a sample of independent and identically distributed values, the sample mean converges to the true mean.” While you may win a big one with a single spin, the longer you keep playing, the more you lose. On a long enough timeline, the house always wins.

Unless… (the gambler’s favorite word) we look at roulette like Bond does. What is the one thing we can control in roulette? How we bet. Now Bond has a crazy betting system, which is overcomplex, but the core of it is this. Each time he loses, he doubles the bet.

The James Bond Betting System works like this. You make the same bet every spin. It is a complex bet that covers about 2/3 of the board with weighted bets based on odds return. Essentially, you should win two out of every three spins. Easy enough, right? You make the same bet every time. Use a bit of discipline and play every spin.

Now, here’s the hard part. Every time you lose, and you will lose a lot, you double your bet. Yup, it’s that easy. If your bet was $200 total and you lose then next time, just bet $400. When you win, you go back to net zero. We add a little control to chaos, and boom, we win over time. Slow, steady, boring - but winning all the same.

Buddy

My grandfather’s name was Buddy. He was a truck driver and loved to gamble. In point of fact, he got me started on betting. Greyhound dogs. He loved the dog track. As a kid, I loved to go with him. “Here comes Rusty!” The announcer would yell, as the metal rabbit takes off and the dogs give chase. Everyone would scream, cheering on their favorite dog. Win or lose we always had fun.

As I got older, I got into horses—the Triple Crown. Oh man, there is no greater adventure than rooting on a horse through the Triple Crown. Since 1875 only 13 horses have won the Triple Crown. A horse must be three years old and earn enough points to run in the Kentucky Derby, which the horse must win. Then, go on to win the Preakness and the Belmont that same year. The horse can only run those races once in its life. In 150 years, only 13 horses have pulled off this amazing feat.

For about a decade now, I’ve been betting on horses. I love it! Such a thrill. I’ve bet one horse through the Triple Crown, and I’ve won the Kentucky Derby a few times. There are a lot of factors that go into betting a thoroughbred horse. Lineage, for sure, herd dynamics, training regiment, etc. And then you have to think about how you are going to bet the horse. The favorite doesn’t payout much, and sometimes, even if your horse wins, you might break even or, worse, bet more than you win. I’ve had that happen a few times.

My strategy comes down to this—Exacta betting. I bet on two to four horses to place first and second. They can come in any order, but two of those horses must be first and second. It can be a pricy bet, $20, or maybe even $5,000. If they hit just right, you can win big. Of course, you have that fancy word there - IF.

Lifetime betting, I’m up about $100,000. That is a cool thing to say when I think about it. But at the same time, I’ve lost $20,000 in a matter of minutes. Easy come, easy go, I suppose. But that’s how it works. You win some, you lose some.

Control

It comes down to control, really. In betting, you look for what you can control. The funny thing is that the more you bet, the more you realize you can’t control much. Yeah, you can control when and how much you bet. You can control what you bet on.

That little white ball in roulette can bounce around and land on red eight times in a row - yup, I’ve been there - $3,000 gone. That sure thing. The best horse in town. Yeah, he can trip just a few feet from the final post. Ouch - that was $5,000.

After about a decade of gambling, I have lost a lot; I’ve won big, I’ve lost a little, and I’ve won here and there. At the end of it all, I’ve learned one simple thing. We control nothing.

Oh, that James Bond system I was going on about a moment ago - read a little more into the article. The Law of Large Numbers wins in the end. The more you keep playing, the more you lose. The house will break you. I suppose that’s why Han Solo doesn’t play roulette and that’s probaly why there are no professional roulette players.

Bet because you love it. Bet because it is fun. Bet on yourself and the people you love. Just know this - you can’t control anything. You can’t control little white balls bouncing around a wheel, you can’t control dogs or horses, and you most definitely cannot control other people. Control is the greatest illusion of all.

The more you try to control, the more you lose. So let go… and have fun. Live your life.

I hope you have enjoyed these thoughts for your self-examination. See you next week.

-CT

PS. Check out the podcast if you like to listen.

Unrelated Stuff and Things

Below, you will find groups, projects, organizations, programs, and cabins I am passionate about and involved in. I hope it doesn’t come off as shameless self-promotion. All the same, they are important to me so I thought I would share. Feel free to skip them if you like.

Feeling Generous?

Counseling for the Future Foundation and Grant Halliburton Foundation are two amazing non-profits doing some great work in the field of Mental Health. You can help make a difference by giving your time, empathy, and financial support. Learn more by clicking the logos below.

A few things related to mental health:

Check out our latest mental health post on the TCG blog, and learn more about the Empifany app, the Titus Check-In System, and our newly developed Independently Strong course.

The Independently Strong course is designed specifically for spouses or partners who have experienced trauma or abuse within relationships with individuals struggling with substance use disorder. Covering topics such as trauma bonds, identifying characteristics of healthy relationships, understanding the impacts of unhealthy dynamics, boosting self-esteem to align decisions with personal values, establishing boundaries, engaging in self-awareness exercises, and delving into various other crucial aspects, this comprehensive program offers essential guidance and support for healing and empowerment. Learn more about the course here.

Need a Break?

We love going to Broken Bow. It has been a special place for me for a long time and it has been a dream to share this beautiful place with my kids. If you are interested in treating yourself to some relaxing away time up in the pines of Broken Bow feel free to book one of our cabins. There is no greater retreat than the woods.

Okay! That’s all I got. Feel free to send me an email. Anything I can do for you?