Russian roulette

:Russian Roulette is also the title of a game show produced by the Game Show Network.

Toy gun version

Equipment

The primary piece of equipment used to play modern Russian roulette is a toy gun that has a 1/6 probability of activating when the trigger is pulled. The gun may be a dedicated device, or it could be a video game light gun connected to a computer programmed for Russian roulette simulation.

Related Topics:
Toy gun - Light gun

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Play

All players put money in the pot.

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Each player in turn points the gun at their head and pulls the trigger.

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If the gun activates, the person holding the gun is eliminated from the game.

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The last player remaining wins the pot.

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Odds

Assuming that each hole is equally likely to be under the hammer, the probability of losing on the first go is 1/6. If the cylinder isn't spun after each shot, the odds of losing are 1/(6 − n), where n is the number of previously played games). Thus, the odds of losing start out as 1/6, then 1/5, then 1/4 etc. After 4 games, the chance of losing is half, and then becomes 1, guaranteeing a loss.

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If the cylinder is spun after every shot, the odds of losing remain the same, 1/6.

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The argument that each hole is equally likely to be under the hammer is contestable. It has been argued that the weight of the bullet will tend to make the cylinder rest with the bullet towards the bottom. This would lower the probability of losing to something less than 1/6.

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