Pierre Dugal

Pierre Dugal was a French engineer who became fascinated with the possibility of beating roulette through scientific observation. Working in early 20th century France, he had access to the legendary casinos of the French Riviera, where he could study wheels under actual playing conditions. His engineering background gave him the analytical tools to approach the problem systematically.

Dugal spent years meticulously recording roulette results at Monte Carlo and other European casinos. He believed that mechanical imperfections in wheels would cause certain numbers to appear more frequently than pure probability would predict. His published analyses documented his methods for identifying and exploiting biased wheels.

Dugal's approach was patient and methodical. He would observe thousands of spins before placing a single bet, recording results to identify statistical anomalies. His methods required no technology—only paper, pencil, and exceptional patience. He looked for wheels where certain numbers appeared significantly more often than the expected 1-in-37 probability.

Dugal documented his wheel analysis methods in French gambling literature, providing detailed instructions for identifying biased wheels. His work influenced subsequent generations of European advantage players and helped establish the systematic approach that Joseph Jagger had pioneered decades earlier.

Pierre Dugal represents the European tradition of scientific roulette analysis. While less famous than figures like Joseph Jagger, his documented methods helped preserve and spread wheel-bias techniques through the early 20th century. His patient, analytical approach demonstrated that roulette could be beaten without technology—only careful observation and mathematical discipline.