Russian roulette

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Russian roulette(Russian:Русская рулетка,romanized:Russkaya ruletka) is a potentially lethalgame of chancein which a player places a singleroundin arevolver,spins thecylinder,places the muzzle against the head or body (of the opponent or themselves), and pulls thetrigger.If the loadedchamberaligns with the barrel, the weapon will fire, killing or severely injuring the player.

Russian roulette as depicted in the 1925 movieThe Night Club

Origin

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According to Andrew Clarke,[who?]the first trace of Russian roulette can be found in the short story "The Fatalist", which was written in 1840 and was part of the collectionA Hero of Our TimebyMikhail Lermontov,a Russian poet and writer.[1]In the story, which is set in aCossackvillage, the protagonist, Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin, claims that there is nopredestinationand proposes a bet in order to prove it, laying about fifty gold pieces onto a table. Alieutenantof thedragoonsof theTsar,Vulič, a man ofSerbianorigins with a passion for gambling, accepts the challenge and randomly takes one of a number of pistols of various calibres from its nail, cocks it and pours gunpowder onto thepan.Nobody knows if the pistol is loaded or not. "Gentlemen! Who will pay 20 gold pieces for me?", Vulič asks, putting the muzzle of the pistol to his forehead. He then asks Grigory to throw aplaying cardin the air, and when the card lands, he pulls the trigger. The weapon fails to fire, but when Vulič cocks the pistol again and aims it at a service cap hanging over the window, a shot rings out and smoke fills the room.[2]

Etymology

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The termRussian roulettewas possibly first used in a 1937 short story of the same name byGeorges Surdez,published in the January 30, 1937, edition ofCollier'smagazine:

'Did you ever hear of Russian Roulette?' When I said I had not, he told me all about it. When he was with the Russian army in Rumania, around 1917, and things were cracking up, so that their officers felt that they were not only losing prestige, money, family, and country, but were being also dishonored before their colleagues of the Allied armies, some officer would suddenly pull out his revolver, anywhere, at the table, in a café, at a gathering of friends, remove a cartridge from the cylinder, spin the cylinder, snap it back in place, put it to his head and pull the trigger. There were five chances to one that the hammer would set off a live cartridge and blow his brains all over the place.[3]

References to the term in the context of theCollier'sstory appeared in some newspapers during 1937.[4]The first independent appearances of the term in newspapers began in 1938 with the reports of young men being killed while playing it. The earliest instance appears to have been the death of a 21-year-old former journalism student inAustin, Texas,appearing inThe Austin Statesmanand some other Texas newspapers on January 8, 1938.[5][6]At least four other deaths were attributed to Russian roulette during the year: a 34-year-old policeman inPeoria, Illinois,[7][8]a 20-year-old in Houston,[9]an 18-year-old inSaratoga Springs, New York,[10]and a 16-year-old in Los Angeles.[11][12]

Subsequently, the term became a metaphor for taking foolhardy risks and its usage steadily increased in reportage of diplomacy, politics, economics, medicine and sports.

Probability

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A revolver with a singleroundloaded in thecylinder,emblematic of Russian roulette. The cylinder is in the open (non-firing) position.

Calculations in this section are based on the use of a six-shotrevolverwith a singlechamberloaded. Abnormal factors, such as the possibility of adudround, are not included.

Variant: revolver re-spun after each trigger pull

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With this variant, turn order is essential, because the probability of losing decreases the later one's turn is.

Given a six-shot revolver, for any givensingle trial(pull), theprobabilityof losing is.However, since all players only come into the game if and when each of the players before them has caught an empty chamber, the all-game loss probability for player(starting from 0) is reduced to.The all-game loss probabilities for each of the six players are hence, in order,,,,,,andto onedecimal place.More generally, for a revolver withchambers, player's all-game loss probability is.

The probability of the revolver having fired after six pulls is,or about.More generally, for a revolver withchambers, the probability of the revolver having fired afterpulls is,as this would be an instance of ageometric distributionwhere the success probability is.

The average number of pulls for the gun to fire isin this variant (six pulls, for a six-shot revolver).

Variant: revolver only spun once at the start

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With this variant, turn order has no effect on the all-game loss probability, which remains the same for all players, but influences the single-pull probability, which increases with each pull.

Given a six-shot revolver, at pull(starting from 0), the fact that allpreviously tested chambers were empty reduces the total number of possible locations of the bullet to,and the loss probability is therefore.The single-pull loss probabilities for each of the six players are hence, in order,,,,,,andto 1 decimal place.[13]More generally, for a revolver withchambers, the loss probability at pull(starting from 0) is.

However, since, like in the re-spinning variant, all players only come into the game if and when each of the players before them has caught an empty chamber, the all-game loss probability for playeris

forandfor.Hence, the all-game loss probability for all players isto 1 decimal place.

The probability of the revolver having fired after six pulls isorin this variant (meaning the revolverwillfire within six trigger pulls). And, more generally, afterpulls, it is.

The average number of pulls for the gun to fire isin this variant (3.5 pulls, for a six-shot revolver).

Notable incidents

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  • William Shockley,co-inventor of thetransistorand winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics, claimed he attempted suicide by playing a solo game of Russian roulette.[14]
  • In a 1946 U.S. legal case,Commonwealth v. Malone,47 A.2d 445 (1946), a Pennsylvania teenager's conviction formurder in the second degreeas a result of shooting a friend was upheld by thePennsylvania Supreme Court.In this case, the teenagers involved played a modified version of Russian roulette, called Russian poker, in which they took turns aiming and pulling the trigger of the revolver at each other, rather than at their own heads. The court ruled that "When an individual commits an act of gross recklessness without regard to the probability that death to another is likely to result, that individual exhibits the state of mind required to uphold a conviction ofmanslaughtereven if the individual did not intend for death to ensue. "[15]
  • On 25 December 1954, AmericanbluesmusicianJohnny Acekilled himself in Texas, after a gun he pointed at his own head discharged. A report inThe Washington Postattributed this to Russian roulette, but this account was disputed by two witnesses who said Ace was reckless with the gun but not playing Russian roulette.[16]
  • Graham Greenerelated in his first autobiography,A Sort of Life(1971), that he played Russian roulette, alone, a few times as a teenager.[17]
  • Malcolm X,inhis 1965 autobiography,recalls an incident during his burglary career when he once played Russian roulette, pulling the trigger three times in a row to convince his partners in crime that he was not afraid to die. In the epilogue to the book,Alex Haleystates that Malcolm X revealed to him that hepalmedthe round.[18]The incident is portrayed in Spike Lee’s1992 film adaptationof the autobiography.
  • In 1972, under the influence of alcohol and cocaine, the French singer and actorJohnny Hallydayplayed multiple games of Russian roulette with singerNanette Workman,then his mistress.[19]Laeticia Smet, Hallyday's wife, revealed in 2018 that he "has done this several times. But that was a long time ago... At the time, he was playing with his destiny".[20]
  • On 24 July 1973,Dallas PoliceOfficer Darrell L. Cain murderedSantos Rodriguez,a 12-year-old child, while interrogating him and his brother about a burglary. Cain shot Rodriguez after spinning the cylinder of his revolver, Russian roulette-style, in an effort to force a confession.[21][22]
  • On 10 September 1976, Finnish magician Aimo Leikas killed himself in front of a crowd while performing his Russian roulette act inHartola.He had been performing the act for about a year, selecting six bullets from a box of assorted live and dummy ammunition.[23][24]
  • The 1978 filmThe Deer Hunterdepicts captured South Vietnamese and American soldiers being forced to play Russian roulette as theirViet Congcaptors bet on who will survive. Several teen deaths following the movie's release caused both police and the media to accuse the film of inspiring the youths.[25]
  • John Hinckley Jr.,whoattempted to assassinatePresidentRonald Reaganin 1981, was known to have played Russian roulette, alone, on two occasions.[26]Hinckley also took a picture of himself in 1980 in which he pointed a gun at his head.[27]
  • On 12 October 1984, while waiting for filming to resume onCover Up(1985), actorJon-Erik Hexumplayed Russian roulette with a.44 Magnumrevolver loaded with ablank.The blast fractured his skull and caused massive cerebral hemorrhaging when bone fragments were forced through his brain. He was rushed to Beverly Hills Medical Center, where he was pronouncedbrain-dead.[28]
  • On 10 July 1993, former French rugby playerArmand Vaquerindied during a “demonstration” of Russian roulette in theBéziersbar “le bar des Amis” on avenue Gambetta.[29]
  • On 5 October 2003, psychological illusionistDerren Brownappeared to take part in a game ofRussian roulette liveon UK television. Two days later, a statement by the police said they had been informed of the arrangements in advance, and were satisfied that "There was no live ammunition involved and at no time was anyone at risk."[30]
  • The BBC programWho Do You Think You Are?,on 13 September 2010, featured the actorAlan Cumminginvestigating his grandfather Tommy Darling, who he discovered had died playing Russian roulette while serving as a police officer inBritish Malaya.The family had previously believed he had died accidentally while cleaning his gun.[31]
  • On 11 June 2016, fighter Ivan "JP" Cole apparently killed himself by playing Russian roulette.[32]

Drinking games

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There is adrinking gamebased on Russian roulette. The game involves six shot glasses filled by a non-player: five are filled with water, but the sixth with vodka. Among some groups, low quality vodka is preferred, as it makes the glass representing the filled chamber less desirable. The glasses are arranged in a circle, and players take turns choosing a glass to take a shot from at random.[33]

There is also a game called "Beer Hunter" (titled after the Russian roulette scenes in the filmThe Deer Hunter). In this game, six cans of beer are placed between the participants: one can is vigorously shaken, and the cans are scrambled. The participants take turns opening the cans of beer right under their noses; the person who opens the shaken can (and thus sprays beer up their nose) is deemed the loser.[34]

Both are non-lethal compared to the game with thefirearmwhich is almost always lethal.

See also

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References

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  1. ^"The Deer Hunter Roberto Leoni Movie Reviews".YouTube. 11 October 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 11 December 2021.Retrieved13 October2019.
  2. ^"The Fatalist. Mikhail Lermontov. English Translation".LiveJournal.com. 18 October 2017.Retrieved13 October2019.
  3. ^Surdez, Georges (30 January 1937). Chenery, William L. (ed.)."Russian Roulette"(PDF).Collier's.Crowell Publishing Company.pp. 16, 57.Archived(PDF)from the original on 1 October 2018.Retrieved16 July2019.
  4. ^"'Tween Lines ".Omaha World-Herald.13 June 1937. p. 11-E.Retrieved28 February2023– via newspapers.com.
  5. ^"Death Laid to 'Gun Roulette'".The Austin Statesman.8 January 1938. p. 1.Retrieved28 February2023– via newspapers.com.
  6. ^"Russian Roulette Test Fatal to Austin Writer".El Paso Herald-Post.United Press.8 January 1938. p. 3.Retrieved28 February2023– via newspapers.com.
  7. ^"Police Officer Is Latest Victim Of Dangerous 'Russian Roulette'".The Austin Statesman.INS.6 July 1938. p. 1.Retrieved28 February2023– via newspapers.com.
  8. ^"Dies as he Snaps 'Empty' Pistol at Head as Joke".St. Louis Star-Times.INS.6 July 1938. p. 7.Retrieved1 March2023– via newspapers.com.
  9. ^"Russian Roulette Thrills Houston Youth to Death".The Austin Statesman.United Press.8 July 1938. p. 3.Retrieved28 February2023– via newspapers.com.
  10. ^"Another Life Taken by 'Russian Roulette'".Springfield Leader & Press.Springfield, Missouri.AP.23 July 1938. p. 1.Retrieved28 February2023– via newspapers.com.
  11. ^"Boy's Triple Death Gamble Told by Chum at Inquest".Los Angeles Times.22 November 1938. p. 7.Retrieved28 February2023– via newspapers.com.
  12. ^"Is Travel Now a Game of Russian Roulette?".29 March 2021.Retrieved8 July2024.
  13. ^"Abnormal risks".Statistical Ideas.1 June 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 6 November 2019.Retrieved21 June2017.
  14. ^"Bill Shockley, Part 2 of 3".American Institute of Physics.1999 – via PBS.org.
  15. ^"Commonwealth v. Malone".casebriefs.com.Retrieved26 July2014.
  16. ^Himes, Geoffrey (25 December 1998)."Really Old School".Washington Post.
  17. ^Gallagher, Paul (12 December 2013)."Novelist Graham Greene Played Russian Roulette as a Teenager".dangerousminds.net.Retrieved1 March2023.
  18. ^Rothstein, Edward (19 May 2005)."The Personal Evolution of a Civil Rights Giant".The New York Times.Retrieved21 June2017.
  19. ^"Roulette russe, paradis artificiels, 'déglingue': la relation survoltée de Johnny Hallyday et sa maîtresse Nanette Workman".www.programme-tv.net(in French). 1 April 2022.
  20. ^"Quand Johnny Hallyday jouait à la roulette russe".www.parismatch.com(in French). 13 April 2018.
  21. ^"State Rests Case In Cain Murder Trial".Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.UPI.14 November 1973. p. 15.Retrieved28 February2023– via newspapers.com.
  22. ^"Dallas Policeman".The Boston Globe.17 November 1973. p. 2.Retrieved28 February2023– via newspapers.com.
  23. ^"In Memoriam"(PDF).The Circus Report.Vol. 5, no. 38. 20 September 1976. p. 2. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 3 September 2012.Retrieved3 June2013.
  24. ^"Russian Roulette Act Misfires, Finnish Circus Performer Killed".Toledo Blade.10 September 1976. p. 11.Retrieved21 June2017– viaGoogle News.
  25. ^"The Deer Hunter Suicides".Snopes.16 August 2007.Retrieved26 April2013.
  26. ^Garbus, Martin (17 September 2002) [2002].Courting Disaster: The Supreme Court and the Unmaking of American Law(hardcover ed.). Times Books. p.135.ISBN978-0-8050-6918-1.
  27. ^"Photograph of Hinckley".Archived fromthe originalon 22 November 2008.Retrieved11 December2008– via University of Missouri Kansas City School of Law.
  28. ^"Jon-Erik Hexum's Fatal Joke".Entertainment Weekly.14 October 1994.Retrieved5 February2013.
  29. ^"Podcast: les derniers mystères sur la mort du rugbyman Armand Vaquerin"[Podcast: the latest mysteries about the death of rugby player Armand Vaquerin] (in French). Télérama. 4 June 2022.Retrieved7 November2023.
  30. ^"Roulette gun stunt 'a hoax'".BBC News.7 October 2003.Retrieved2 September2007.
  31. ^Jarvis, David (12 September 2010)."Alan Cumming's hero grandad died playing Russian roulette".Daily Express.Retrieved1 March2023.
  32. ^Boult, Adam (13 June 2016)."MMA fighter 'killed himself playing Russian roulette'".The Telegraph.Archivedfrom the original on 12 January 2022.Retrieved13 June2016.
  33. ^"Drinking Roulette Fun Game".roulettegamesvariety.com.Retrieved21 June2017.
  34. ^"The Beer Hunter".Modern Drunkard Magazine.Archived fromthe originalon 9 December 2014.