THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
The number seven is everywhere, from epic moments in history to the modern casino
By Frank Scoblete
Seven is a magnificent number and one of the most profound in human history. You have Seven Heavens in Judaism and Christian theology with the Seventh Heaven being the highest heaven, often where God exists—or just below where God exists. The number seven has profound meaning in Hinduism and Islam too. You’ll even find smaller religions and philosophies honoring the seven by giving it a prime place in its hierarchy. Indeed the seven is a prime number even in mathematics.
There are Seven Deadly Sins (wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy and gluttony), none of which you want to commit if you know what’s good for you. Seven days of the week. Seven colors in the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet).
There are Seven Seas (Arctic, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific, Indian and Southern). And Seven Continents (North America, South America, Australia, Europe, Asia, Africa and Antarctica).
Also include the Seven Hills of Rome and the Seven Emperors of Rome and the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
There are indeed more sevens in history than I can account for but you get the picture. The number seven is important and it has been important for as long as mankind has been scribbling our thoughts.
In the casino the number seven also holds great importance and in craps it is the number one number of all. On the Come-out roll the seven will win for the Pass Line bettor and lose for the Don’t Pass bettor. The Come bettor will win on the seven and the seven will lose for the Don’t Come bettor. Once a Point is established the seven will lose for all right bettors (those betting with the shooter’s Point number) and win for all Don’t bettors (those betting against the shooter’s Point number).
Craps players can also bet on the seven “straight up.” This is called Any Seven, or Big Red—the particular color of the rainbow your bankroll will be if you make a habit of betting this proposition. The house edge is the un-seventh-heaven-ish 16.67 percent—an expected loss of $16.67 for every $100 wagered. That might certainly make you succumb to wrath.
Certainly, the seven has a long history of winning for slot players. Just think that one of the great slot machines is called Blazing Sevens. The machine even looked awesome; as if it were burning up in flames.
