Blaise Pascal

Blaise Pascal was born in Clermont-Ferrand, France, in 1623 to a father who was a mathematician and tax official. A child prodigy, Pascal wrote his first mathematical treatise at 16 and invented a mechanical calculator—the Pascaline—at 19 to help his father with calculations. His genius extended across mathematics, physics, philosophy, and theology.

In 1655, Pascal was working on a perpetual motion machine—a theoretical device that would run forever without external energy. While this goal was physically impossible, his experiments produced an important byproduct: a spinning wheel that would become the basis for modern roulette. Pascal's wheel featured numbered pockets around its circumference.

Pascal approached problems with rigorous mathematical precision. His work on probability theory, conducted in correspondence with Pierre de Fermat, established the foundations of the field. Their analysis of the "problem of points"—how to divide stakes in an interrupted gambling game—created the mathematical framework still used to analyze casino games.

Beyond accidentally inventing roulette, Pascal's contributions to probability theory fundamentally shaped how we understand gambling and risk. Pascal's Triangle, Pascal's Theorem in geometry, and his philosophical work including the famous "Pascal's Wager" demonstrate the breadth of his genius. His work with Fermat established probability as a mathematical discipline.

Blaise Pascal gave the world one of its most iconic casino games, though gambling was merely a byproduct of his scientific curiosity. He died at 39, leaving behind contributions to mathematics, physics, and philosophy that continue to influence modern thought. Every spin of a roulette wheel traces back to his 17th-century workshop.