» Figure the Odds http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog Sun, 20 May 2012 06:11:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 The water’s fine… http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?p=1084 http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?p=1084#comments Thu, 10 Feb 2011 03:13:21 +0000 James Coon http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?p=1084 Kathy bought into one of those Super Bowl pools at work. Squares cost $5.00.

She just told me the big winner won two quarters.

I don’t get it. Why would anyone bet $5.00 just for a chance at 50¢?

I think he got soaked.

]]> http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?feed=rss2&p=1084 0 Inescapable logic… http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?p=763 http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?p=763#comments Wed, 22 Dec 2010 23:50:35 +0000 James Coon http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?p=763 Any statistician will tell you that if you flip a quarter fifty times, and it comes up “heads” every time, the chances of it coming up “heads” on the next flip are still 50/50. I don’t believe it.

I say it’s like this: The probability of two “heads” in a row is 1-in-4. Of three “heads”: 1-in-8. Of 21 in a row? 1-in-2,097,152. Of 100? 1-in-79 million million million million million.

And you’re telling me the next flip is still 50/50? Yeah, sure.

And tomorrow my ATM’s gonna spit me out an extra twenty.

]]> http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?feed=rss2&p=763 0 Never hit “Hard 18″… http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?p=719 http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?p=719#comments Sun, 19 Dec 2010 04:15:42 +0000 James Coon http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?p=719 I figure if you lose $10 in blackjack, you’re really losing $20. The ten you lost, and the ten you could have had. $20. So if you win, you win $10—but if you lose, you lose $20.

No wonder it’s a losing game.

]]> http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?feed=rss2&p=719 0 Where’s that ace? http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?p=492 http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?p=492#comments Sat, 27 Nov 2010 02:57:14 +0000 James Coon http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?p=492 So here we are playing poker. Kathy and Niece Robin and me. All night long I’m getting bupkis. Folding, losing. Getting bupkis. One time I tried to bluff my way through, and then had to show my bupkis.

Granted, I probably helps if you don’t go WOO! HOO! every time you draw a good card.

I gotta work on that.

]]> http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?feed=rss2&p=492 0 Collect $200… http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?p=458 http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?p=458#comments Sun, 21 Nov 2010 20:07:54 +0000 James Coon http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?p=458 I enjoy playing poker with my nephew. It’s fun, and he’s always been good. Sometimes I think a little too good—I’m getting suspicious. Last time we played he won a big jackpot by laying down four aces and a “Get Out of Jail Free” card.

]]> http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?feed=rss2&p=458 0 Fuzzy math… http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?p=230 http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?p=230#comments Sun, 24 Oct 2010 03:03:47 +0000 James Coon http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?p=230 You ask any mathematician, statistician or probability expert and they’ll tell you if the coin comes up heads nine times in a row, the chances of it coming up heads again are 50/50. I don’t think so. I think the fact that the odds against ten in a row, namely 1023-to-1, should factor in there somewhere.

I’m wrong of course. I don’t care.

]]> http://www.jamescoon.com/jcblog/?feed=rss2&p=230 0