Ask The Wizard #201
I appreciate the fantastic website! My dad and I are currently having a disagreement regarding the concept of hedging bets, and we could really use your assistance. The situation revolves around a bet made by my uncle on the Super Bowl, where he wagered on New England's victory before the season began, with odds of 60 to 1. Just before the game, my uncle decided to hedge his bet—although my dad can't recall the exact details—resulting in a guaranteed payout of $3,000 instead of the potential $6,000. I believe this hedging was a poor decision, but my dad disagrees. I'm arguing that by hedging, he surrendered expected value and that smart gamblers avoid this. My father contends it's acceptable to forfeit expected value given the amount of money at stake and the rarity of such a bet, drawing a parallel to insuring a house. Naturally, I counter that homeownership is vastly different from betting on sports because one can be avoided while the other is not. What are your thoughts on this? We would really appreciate your input to help resolve our debate!
One of my core Gambling Commandments states, \"You shall not hedge your bets.\" However, I do acknowledge that \"there are exceptions when it involves protecting significant amounts of money.\" If the $3,000 he relinquished was indeed life-altering for him, and if the likelihood of winning was only slightly above 50%, then I wouldn't challenge his choice. Yet, assuming this wasn’t in 2002, the odds of New England winning were considerably greater than 50%. In the other Super Bowls they played in 2004 and 2005, they were favored by 7 points. I would estimate their chances of winning both times at around 71%. A fair exchange for surrendering would be 0.71 × $6,100 (including the original wager) = $4,331. The house's advantage on the offer, likening it to an even-money bet on the opposing team, amounts to a 29%-71% split, totaling 42%. Thus, unless I'm mistaken about the year, that would be a misguided choice. He could have found substantially better odds elsewhere by betting on the other team. The entity offering only $3,000 clearly didn't grasp the game or took undue advantage. Notably, New England triumphed in all three recent Super Bowls by merely three points.
Not long ago, my roommate accessed my online gambling account and lost a significant amount of MY funds. I'd like to dispute all the transactions he made on the site. Aside from the risk of being added to a global blacklist, are there any other consequences to consider when disputing these charges?
I think the only downside to this situation would be getting listed in the chargeback database. This would effectively hinder your online gambling activities. However, I believe it's unjust to pursue a chargeback against the casino, given that they weren't at fault for your roommate's unauthorized use of your credit card. Ideally, your roommate should reimburse you for the money he lost. I feel strongly about this because I've been shorted on several occasions. It's no coincidence that the first of my gambling principles is, \"Honor your gambling debts.\" Ten Commandments of Gambling. If your roommate declines to repay you and you decide to go ahead with the chargeback, it's crucial to be truthful during any investigation. It will be straightforward to establish that the charges originated from the same IP address, and you might be questioned about it. Allow him the chance to make repayment first, and if he refuses, don't shield him from the consequences.
Imagine five cards are drawn from a standard 52-card deck, with the first card being a king. What are the chances that at least one additional king will appear? I noticed a similar problem involving aces but couldn't fully grasp it. I would be grateful for any guidance.
In addressing probability questions, I prefer employing the combinatorial method. Using this approach, there are (48,4) = 194,580 different ways to select four cards from the remaining 48 non-king cards in the deck. There are also combin(51,4)=249,900 ways to draw any four cards from the remaining 51 in the deck. Thus, the probability of not drawing another king in the next four selections is 194,580/249,900 = 77.86%. Consequently, the likelihood of getting at least one additional king is 100% - 77.86% = 22.14%. combin Some individuals mentioned that the combinatorial approach might be too complex for those asking basic probability queries. While I agree, a primary goal of this site is to impart knowledge about mathematics. The combinatorial function is incredibly efficient in probability calculations and saves substantial time. Nonetheless, the given question can also be resolved without it.
The chance that the second card drawn is not a king stands at 48/51. This is because there are still 48 non-king cards remaining, with 51 total cards left in play. If the second card is a non-king, then the probability that the third card is also a non-king is determined by 47/50 (47 non-kings divided by the 50 remaining cards). Continuing this pattern, the overall probability that none of the additional four cards are kings equals (48/51) × (47/50) × (46/49) × (45/48) = 77.86%. Thus, the probability that at least one is a king is 100% - 77.86% = 22.14%.
Do you believe that any single player has the potential to consistently outperform the odds in California games where every player has an equal chance to act as the banker each round, especially since each hand has a $1 fee to the house?
Yes and no. Typically, those games carry a banker advantage, so seizing each opportunity would lead to a long-term benefit. That said, casinos and banking entities have arrangements in place to prevent regular players from exploiting these situations excessively, treating them like a business rather than casual gambling.
First, select 5 cards from a standard 52-card deck. Then, sum their blackjack values (where T, J, Q, K = 10 and A = 1). What are the odds that this total is even or odd? I would assume the sums would lean towards being even given the higher number of even cards.
Surprisingly, the likelihood of achieving an odd total is slightly higher at 50.03%, even with 30 out of the 52 cards being even. The table below outlines the probability for each even vs. odd result.
The bonus package at Mohegan Sun features two $10 bet coupons. These are not match play bets. Placing a ten-dollar wager on an even-money proposition, such as the one at the Big Six wheel, would return that same amount. The house retains any coupons utilized, regardless of winning or losing. Players do not need to add personal funds to use these. The only eligible games for participation are the specified ones. Where would be the optimal spots to utilize these coupons? I have wagered both high and low in sic bo, typically only losing if a triple appears. I've also placed bets on the one and two during the same spin on the wheel.
Odd/Even Question
Evens | Odds | Combinations | Probability | Sum |
0 | 5 | 15504 | 0.005965 | Odd |
1 | 4 | 155040 | 0.059655 | Even |
2 | 3 | 565440 | 0.217564 | Odd |
3 | 2 | 942400 | 0.362607 | Even |
4 | 1 | 719200 | 0.276726 | Odd |
5 | 0 | 201376 | 0.077483 | Even |
Total | 2598960 | 1 |
Generally, these complimentary betting coupons are restricted to even-money wagers, making this scenario intriguing. My recommendation would be to apply the free bet on a long shot to mitigate the risk of losing the free wager even if a win occurs. The biggest long shot in Big Six is the joker/logo, which has a win probability of 1/54. While I'm uncertain whether Mohegan Sun pays 40 or 45 on the joker, assuming 45, the value of the free bet would be (1/54) × 45 = 83.33% of its face value. In Sic Bo, the most significant long shots revolve around the six triples. I'm also unsure what they payout for individual triples, but I would estimate 180. Therefore, the expected value for each of the six triple bets would be (1/216) × 180 = 83.33% of the anticipated value. As such, we find parity in expected value, leading me to favor the bet with a greater chance of winning: the joker/logo in Big Six, though the choice ultimately belongs to you. Big Six wheel or Sic Bo At San Diego's casinos, Super Fun 21 offers a $1 side bet where a diamond-suited blackjack on the first hand of a single deck pays $300. What are the accurate odds of achieving this outcome with six players at the first base?
There is a single path to obtaining the ace, coupled with four options for the 10-point card, summing to 1*4=4 possible winning combinations. The number of ways to select 2 out of 52 cards is given by combin(52,2)=1,326. Consequently, the probability of a successful outcome is 4/1326 = 0.30%. The fair odds would be 330.5 to 1. Thus, the expected return equates to 0.0030*300 + 0.9970*-1 = -0.0920, indicating a house edge of 9.2%.
The reason behind limiting this bet to the first hand after shuffling is to prevent card counters from gaining an advantage. Without card tracking, you can assume a consistent house edge of 9.2% at all times.
I genuinely appreciate all the valuable insights shared on your webpage. Currently, I am serving in the Air Force and will be presenting a seminar focused on responsible gambling.
My history lecturer at NMSU informed our class that the only method to win at Blackjack was to make small bets and walk away with modest profits of $25. This rationale doesn't align with my understanding. I'm aware it isn’t accurate. My inquiry is – if I possess $1,000,000 to gamble with throughout my life, do I have \"better odds\" by wagering the entire million in a single hand of Blackjack as opposed to making smaller bets over time? Or are the odds invariant regardless? Your website is fantastic; keep up the excellent work. I greatly appreciate your assistance!
You're welcome. Your history professor is mistaken. The 'small win' tactic is well-known, frequently yielding minor gains; however, significant losses often erase these small profits. To respond to your question, it hinges on your definition of 'better odds.' If your focus is on achieving the most considerable average balance, there’s no difference. The anticipated loss remains constant whether you place one bet of $1,000,000 or a million bets of $1, assuming you follow basic strategy and possess enough reserve funds to double down or split. Conversely, if you're concerned about maximizing your probability of a net win, your odds are substantially more favorable with one single wager. For instance, making one million bets of $1 predicts an anticipated loss of $2,850, alongside a standard deviation of $1,142, leading to a mere 0.6% chance of profit. In contrast, placing a single wager of $1,000,000 means your chances of victory rise to 42.4%, with an 8.5% likelihood of a tie and a 49.1% risk of a loss.
This platform provides mathematically sound strategies and information for various casino games such as blackjack, craps, roulette, and countless others.
Explore the top online casinos available in your region.