The basic game:
(1) A revolver has 1 bullet placed in the cylinder.
(2) The cylinder is spun.
(3) A player places the barrel against his/her temple and pulls the trigger.
(4) The gun is passed to the next player who repeats steps 2 and 3.
There are many variations.
odds of the player being shot =
= (number of bullets loaded) / (number of chambers in the cylinder)
Risk factors:
(1) alcohol and/or drug intoxication
(2) extreme boredom
(3) mental illness (unable to understand the danger involved)
(4) suicidal
(5) young males playing chicken or showing bravado
Ways to game the system:
(1) catch a glimpse of the upcoming chamber prior to pulling the trigger
(2) palm the bullet
(3) switch in a fake bullet
(4) use a revolver with more than 6 chambers
As pointed out by Di Maio it is important to be familiar with how the cylinder rotates in the gun being used. Some rotate clockwise while others rotate counterclockwise. A bullet visible in a chamber may be good luck or bad depending on how the cylinder rotates.
