Games of No Chance (Mathematical Sciences Research Institute Publications)

Book Description

Is Nine-Men's Morris, in the hands of perfect players, a win for white or for black--or a draw? Can king, rook, and knight always defeat king and two knights in chess? What can Go players learn from economists? What are nimbers, tinies, switches, minies? This book deals with combinatorial games, that is, games not involving chance or hidden information. Their study is at once old and young: though some games, such as chess, have been analyzed for centuries, the first full analysis of a nontrivial combinatorial game (Nim) only appeared in 1902. This book deals with combinatorial games, that is, games not involving chance or hidden information. Their study is at once old and young: though some games, such as chess, have been analyzed for centuries, the first full anlaysis of a nontrivial combinatorial game (Nim) only appeared in 1902. The first part of this book will be accessible to anyone, regardless of background: it contains introductory expositions, reports of unusual contest between an angel and a devil. For those who want to delve more deeply, the book also contains combinatorial studies of chess and Go; reports on computer advances such as the solution of Nine-Men's Morris and Pentominoes; and new theoretical approaches to such problems as games with many players. If you have read and enjoyed Martin Gardner, or if you like to learn and analyze new games, this book is for you.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating.......2002-07-22

I don't have read all the book, but I read most of the scientific papers it is composed by. I think they are very interesting and puzzling, on the border line between serious mathematics (game theory and all this stuff) and "recreational math" (like the angel problem). It would be a good read also for people interested in computer games.

great book.......2000-04-01

This book is full of beatiful work. Every section is an investigation into some combinatorial game, or some idea in combinatorial game theory. Most of the material is clearly presented and all should be accessible to undergrads, but be warned: this is not simple stuff. But, as we all know, beautiful mathematics isn't always simple. The book also includes a section with 52 unsolved problems, which should be of considerable interest to the curious.

MAA Online review.......1997-09-12

See Ed Sandifer's MAA Online review at: http://www.maa.org/reviews/nochance.htm

The Theory of Gambling and Statistical Logic, Revised Edition

Average customer rating:

tough to review a book like this
Excellent Resource!
Disappointing and Often Uninsightful
Very Hard to Find Info
Kubeiagenesis

The Theory of Gambling and Statistical Logic, Revised Edition
Richard A. Epstein
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Business & Investing | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Entertainment | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Science | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Business & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Entertainment | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Science | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 012240761X

Book Description

[Man] invented a concept that has since been variously viewed as a vice, a crime, a business, a pleasure, a type of magic, a disease, a folly, a weakness, a form of sexual substitution, an expression of the human instinct. He invented gambling.
Richard Epstein's classic book on gambling and its mathematical analysis covers the full range of games from penny matching, to blackjack and other casino games, to the stock market (including Black-Scholes analysis). He even considers what light statistical inference can shed on the study of paranormal phenomena. Epstein is witty and insightful, a pleasure to dip into and read and rewarding to study.

Customer Reviews:

tough to review a book like this.......2007-08-10

From the number of stars above, you know I really liked this book. It is difficult to review such a book because you have to think about the intended audience. I think the intended audience is me; someone who is mathematically literate, who is looking over probability and statistical thinking applied to games of chance, or who might be otherwise modestly interested in such. The intended audience is probably not a professional probabilist. The intended audience is definitely not your average gambler. As such, the specialist and the average person may not be well served by this book. But, for the scientist, engineer or recreational mathematician who might be reviewing material on combinatorics, probability and statistics, or interested in applying it to different "games" (like markets), this book is a work of beauty. The author is witty, informative and he picks lively subject: I was never bored. A most entertaining way to review probability in general, and the mathematics of gambling. There are other books on the mathematics of gambling games which treat the subject differently, or in greater detail, but for a medium-light read on the subject: one that includes actual mathematics, without drowning in detail and formalism, it's hard to beat Epstein's book.

Excellent Resource!.......2006-09-07

The Theory of Gambling and Statistical Logic is a superbly written book comtaining much knowledge about gambling and assessing the odds for specific games. Epstein begins with an overview of statistics and gambling, followed by chapters on specific items, like dic and coins, and specific games, like blackjack, bridge, and even chess. One caveat: you need more than a rudimentary knowledge of statistics to fully appreciate this book. Also, the book was written in the 1970's before poker (in general) and hold 'em (in specific) became popular. If you are buying The Theory of Gambling and Statistical Logic to analyze poker, I would recommend looking elsewhere.

Disappointing and Often Uninsightful.......2004-03-13

Some parts are interesting, and the writing can be entertaining, but the book is short on insight and clarity and long on tedious tables and uninterpreted computations.

Buy this if you already know probability and would like to see -some- applications and cute games.

Don't buy it if you want insight into particular games; especially, the blackjack and bridge sections (and meager poker section) have virtually no value.

I am a graduate student in mathematics, and enjoy probability theory and games: I should be the ideal audience.
The math is no problem for me, but much is boring, and much time is spent writing huge tables without giving much insight.

Research articles in statistics are easier to read, and far more informative.

The math background is awful: if you don't already know it, don't learn it here.
[Instead, see "The Cartoon Guide to Statistics", or Feller's "Intro to Probability"]
The writing is willfully obscure and florid (though, admittedly,
entertaining): gymkhana, panjandrum, kubiagenesis?

My main objection is the lack of insight: the author does (mostly) correct computations and statements but seldom shows much depth of understanding and rarely conveys any to the reader.

Rather than answering questions or giving examples that convey the meaning of the theory, how it lets you understand questions, Epstein does many unillustrative examples.

This book won't teach you to understand games and gambling, which it could do, and should do.

At best, it provides a basis from which you can (after too much work) begin to understand games. This is not because the subject is that hard (at least not what Epstein covers) -- it's because the material is undigested and Epstein is a poor expositor.

If you want to get something out of this book, be prepared to do the work that Epstein hasn't, and to look at more modern and insightful references.

Here's an example: how many times do you need to shuffle a deck before it's essentially random? Very natural question, of big interest in gambling. Epstein gives a very slick argument, one of the gems of the book (measure entropy of a shuffle) that you need at least 5 shuffles -- but beyond that just writes some equations for 2 shuffles of a 4-card deck and says that a computer would help, and instead tabulates that 18 perfect shuffles of a 58-card deck return it to the original state.

The rest of the book is like this: some question begging for study, perhaps an insight, and then irrelevant and pedantic computations and tables.

There are gems in here (it's a grab-bag), and the writing is often amusing, but it's a frustrating read: it could be so much better.

Very Hard to Find Info.......2003-11-16

Don't read this book if you're a poker player who knows how to divide your outs by number of unseen cards but never took any serious math courses. This is a serious mathematical treatment of gambling.

If you want a more rigorous treatment of the general statistical theory involved in gambling (in general, not just for poker) then this is a book you MUST read. Are you a full or part-time mathematician? Are you someone who took some math courses and is interested in learning about how to mathematically describe different games that involve gambling? Are you wanting to write a computer program to simulate statistical games based on solid mathematics and understand your program? This book is something you don't want to overlook if you answered "yes" to any of those questions. If you answered with a resounding "no" to all of them and are just interested in a particular game and aren't mathematically inclined then you want to look elsewhere.

Kubeiagenesis.......2003-02-01

To the reader who was frustrated by the title of Chapter one, 'Kubeiagenesis', and could not find a definition.

-genesis, is first defined as a suffix, meaning 'origin'.
Kubeia comes from The New Testament Greek Lexicon.

Kubeia (koo-bi'-ah). Definition 1. dice playing 2. metaphor for the deception of men, because dice players sometimes cheated and defrauded their fellow players.

Translated to english in Ephesians as both 'sleight' (KJV) and 'trickery' (NAS).

Clearly, Kubeiagenesis is meant to be the origin of sleight, trickery, and deception.

That it is the first word of the text may be to inform the reader that what follows may be nonintuitive -- but is well defined, documented, and referenced. You may find yourself reading several of the referenced texts before completing the book if you are going to absorb it all.

This book is the Bible on the subject. The author brilliantly interweaves relevant stories, and shows connections to disciplines outside mathematics and gaming. If you simply want answers and don't care how they were calculated, try some of the other texts offered. If you want to understand the subject -- buy this book.

Average customer rating:

Advanced High School Level Textbook

Will help you win?

Basic, yet thorough intro to the theory of games of chance
The Mathematics of Games and Gambling (New Mathematical Library)
Edward Packel
Manufacturer: The Mathematical Association of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books
Game Theory | Applied | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books
Probability & Statistics | Applied | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books
Game Theory | Applied | Mathematics | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Science | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Theory of Gambling and Statistical Logic, Revised Edition

Taking Chances: Winning with Probability

Calculated Bets

Gambling Theory and Other Topics

Fortune's Formula: The Untold Story of the Scientific Betting System That Beat the Casinos and Wall Street

ASIN: 088385628X

Book Description

You can’t lose with this MAA Book Prize winner if you want to see how mathematics can be used to analyze games of chance and skill. Roulette, craps, blackjack, backgammon, poker, bridge, lotteries and horse races are considered here in a way that reveals their mathematical aspects. The tools used include probability, expectation, and game theory. No prerequisites are needed beyond high school algebra. No book can guarantee good luck, but this book will show you what determines the best bet in a game of chance or the optimal strategy in a strategic game. Besides being an excellent supplement to a course on probability and good bed-side reading, this book’s treatment of lotteries should save the reader some money.

Customer Reviews:

Advanced High School Level Textbook.......2004-12-18

This book is written as a school text book, probably targetting high school through sophomore level college students. There are some interesting pieces of the book about the history of games and analysis of games like backgammon and poker. Other games such as bridge and state lotteries are discussed. The treatment of game theory was new to me, but a lot of the content of this book is basic probability & statistics.

Will help you win?.......2003-12-10

This is one of the most entertaining books on the subject of game theory! Highly recommended. Of course, you may not win all the time in any gambling games but if after studying it, you will have a sense of how it works! THat is it!

Basic, yet thorough intro to the theory of games of chance.......2002-10-03

When I was teaching full-time in the `80s, the math topic that students found most interesting was the analysis of gambling. One student in particular had written a program that analyzed the past history of racing greyhounds in an attempt to increase his odds of winning at the dog track. The students were also the most attentive in class when I was working through an analysis of either casino games or the state run lotteries. We held several discussions on various ways to "beat" the games that were suggested by the students or explained in class. I received and answered many questions about the odds of winning in many scenarios, sometimes to the disappointment and disbelief of the person asking the question. From now on, I will direct students with such questions to this book if they find my answers unsatisfactory.
It is a brief, yet thorough analysis of the mathematical foundations of some basic board and casino games. Problems for further testing and study are given at the end of most sections, so it is possible to use it as a textbook in short courses in basic probability theory. The level of difficulty is consistent with that of a beginning course, and the only mathematical prerequisites are the most basic of algebraic operations.
Gambling is an activity that will continue to be a part of the human experience as long as humans have their present form. To many, it is an activity of addiction, to others one of recreation and to mathematicians it can be both. I fall in the latter category, as I often point out to people how their opinions about the possibility of success are exactly what the gambling companies want them to be. This book is an excellent description of how the games work and how billions are made by being on the right side of slightly favorable odds.

Average customer rating:

Short and fast moving!
No! No! No!
The game didn't make sense!
A Game Of Chance
A Must Keep!

A Game Of Chance
Linda Howard
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0373484933

Book Description

A New York Times Bestseller

Undercover agent Chance Mackenzie knew that the best way to capture an elusive terrorist was to use the man's daughter as bait, so he seduced Sunny Miller and set out to discover her father's whereabouts. Sunny's own innocence was questionable, and gaining her trust was nearly impossible. And even with all his experience and training, Chance found it difficult to overlook her beauty. However, Chance soon realized that Sunny wasn't running from him - she was running for her life, and she needed Chance's protection. But keeping Sunny safe would involve telling her the truth . . .

Customer Reviews:

Short and fast moving!.......2006-08-11

I thought it was a very decent read since the story moved quickly and also very effectively developed Chance and Sunny's love story. Their love story started with secrets and lies but turned into something very sweet and fulfilling. It also made me want to read more about the Mackenzie family and I especially look forward to Zane's story!

No! No! No!.......2006-07-18

What was Mrs. Howard thinking. This book was one of her worsts. I liked nothing about the book. I did'nt like the characters, the plot was ok but overall is was down right BORING. I don't like heros who use the heroine to the point of life endangerment and then the heroine just forgives when the apology is made. Oh Please could she not come up with something better than that. And how do you forgive something like that after 1 paragragh - either she's a idiot or the book is horrible, in this case I would have to say both. Save Your Money!

The game didn't make sense!.......2006-02-24

So Sunny's daddy is a terrorist and is able to disappear when he wants and has numberous amount of people working underneath him and has a ton a money, but it takes only one shot to kill him off. I have a hard time believing that. And another thing, why was her dad still after her. I'm sure if she was still young and innocent, then maybe I would understand but it didn't make sense. I don't want to give away the reason for the previous sentence so if you dont understand you'll have to read the book. I will say that the only reason you should read the book is to finish of the series. The Mackenzie Family are amazing characters.
To me the story lacked the finishing touches. The story was built up and then shot down.

A Game Of Chance.......2005-08-16

I love Linda Howard books, started with her more recent books such as Open Season and Mr Perfect.
Enjoyed everything I have read, great to escape into and the males are always devine.
A Game Of Chance is fast and sexy and worth a read.

A Must Keep!.......2005-07-27

I have read every McKenzie book I could find - I like the story of Chance. It's now in my "gotta Keep" books. I just wish I could have gotten the hard cover instead of paperback. I highly recommend this book and all of Linda Howard's books - she's great!

$Mackenzies' Honor: Mackenzie's Pleasure\A Game Of Chance (Mira Romance)$
Average customer rating:

Chane and Zane
A wonderful story very well told by Howard
One of the Best Romance Series
Linda Howard Fan
Worth buying for Mackenzie's Pleasure

Mackenzies' Honor: Mackenzie's Pleasure\A Game Of Chance (Mira Romance)
Linda Howard
Manufacturer: Mira
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

Romantic Suspense | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

Romantic Suspense | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

$Mackenzie's Legacy: Mackenzie's Mountain\Mackenzie's Mission$ Mackenzie's Legacy: Mackenzie's Mountain\Mackenzie's Mission
Heartbreaker
Christmas Kisses: Mackenzie's Magic/ Silver Bells/ A Wild West Christmas
Almost Forever
Dream Man

ASIN: 077832267X

Customer Reviews:

Chane and Zane.......2007-04-04

I stumbled across this series some time ago. It is a wonderful story about a blended family not just in ethnicity but by adoption as well. Linda Howard can tell a story as well as anyone but she keeps you interested where you simply can't put the book down.

A wonderful story very well told by Howard.......2007-03-11

I was into this book right from the start of it. It begins with Zane Mackenzie on a mission to locate Barrie Lovejoy, the rich ambassador's daughter. It isn't long before he finds Barrie Lovejoy tied up, and having been abused by very cruel men. He rescues Barrie and pulls her into safety until they can escape. It was love at first sight, but later in this part of the story tragedy happens in transport on a rescue boat. Zane is hurt pretty badly and taken via helicopter to the closest hospital. Barry fights to go with him, but they won't let her. Instead she is taken back to her father who is very overprotective. Barrie discovers that she is pregnant and is very depressed when her father won't let go of her. Barrie finds a way to escape her father's mansion, but as she is getting ready to, Zane finds her and much to Barrie's father's protestations, she leaves with Zane to start a new life with the baby.

Chance, Zane's brother, is in law-enforcement and assigned to capture Hauer, a terrorist, and bring him into justice. He had to find Sonny, the daughter of this man, and use her as bait to reach the man. When Chance arrives at the airport, he spots Sonny, and offers her a ride on his small plane to deliver an important package on time as Sonny is a currier, and is entrusted by her company to deliver promptly. Chance knows immediately that he loves this woman, and as the story goes, the small plane crashes to the ground, and they are stuck in a canyon. Survival won't be easy, but they manage until Zane arrives in a chopper a few days later to rescue them. Sonny will be found by her father again as Chance has purposely arranged her as bait to capture this dangerous man. And when it is all over, their short romance will probably have to end.

A great story well told and highly recommended.

One of the Best Romance Series.......2006-11-13

Along with Linda Howard's "Mackenzie's Legacy" (which includes "Mackenzie's Mission" and "Mackenzie's Mountain),
this is one of the best romance series I've read.

Linda Howard Fan.......2006-06-13

Game of Chance was good, Mackenzie's Pleasure was the best of the series.It's a shame her current her recent stuff sucks.

Worth buying for Mackenzie's Pleasure.......2006-01-23

In December 2005, I stumbled across this book (MACKENZIE'S PLEASURE) in a Silhouette edition twofer combining books by two different authors. Mackenzie's Pleasure, my Buried Treasure find for 2005, is the story of Zane Mackenzie, the youngest son of Wolf Mackenzie and his wife Mary Elizabeth (hero and heroine of Mackenzie's Mountain); I would love to see a twofer combining Mackenzie's Mountain with Mackenzie's Pleasure. Unfortunately, I have to settle for this book, which combines an excellent book with a less successful one.

Zane Mackenzie is called upon to execute a mission to rescue an ambassador's kidnapped daughter Barrie Lovejoy out of Libya. The first third of the book is about how the rescue takes place and with what consequences. In the second third, Zane and Barrie are separated by circumstances until they manage to find each other. Since there is a mystery and a bit of romantic suspense to the plot, I will not go further with the plot summary. It is probably sufficient to say that Barrie's kidnapping and rescue is somewhat more complicated than either Zane or Barrie realized.

MACKENZIE'S PLEASURE is one of the few stories where I genuinely liked the hero and heroine from the outset, and where I also felt that they were right for each other. That this contributed to my liking the book is not in question. Linda Howard's writing style also helped, as did her characterizations. Zane is an alpha male but not an overbearing alpha, but a protector and leader. The other SEALS came alive as did the heroine and her Ambassador father. What didn't work so well for me was the villain and his motivation (especially as explained to Barrie at the end).

Unfortunately, A GAME OF CHANCE is a very different kind of story about Chance, the adoptive son. Putting Chance and Zane together in the same "twofer" makes some sense, given that they are about the same age and apparently fought together regularly. The problem is not that Chance is the adoptive son, but that he is a different person from Zane. Whereas Zane makes it a point to protect the woman he loves (whether he realizes it or not), Chance uses the woman he loves (the heroine) as a bait for a dangerous trap. Arguing that he is not in love with the heroine does not change this fact. Chance's story is thus a disappointment for those who love heroes in the mold of Wolf and Zane Mackenzie, men who would do almost anything (save betray their country) to protect their families and their mates. I keep wondering if Chance would again put his wife in the line of fire in the national interest; the trouble is that I cannot convince myself that he had changed by the end.

MIRA's reprints: Mackenzie's Mountain (Wolf) goes with Mackenzie's Mission (Joe) in one volume. While Mackenzie's Magic (a story in an anthology) is left out, Mackenzie's Pleasure (Zane) is combined with A Game of Chance (Chance) in another volume. Of course, we have no stories for Michael and Josh, but have to find out what happy ending was in store for them from the first and last chapter of Mackenzie's Pleasure. I wish MIRA would reprint just the strongest stories Mackenzie's Mountain and Mackenzie's Pleasure.

Written by bookjunkiereviews 22 January 2006

Average customer rating:

A "must read" book
time for a revised edition...?
Fundamental understanding of gamling
Great Book
Thought Provoking and Annoaying

Gambling Theory and Other Topics
Mason Malmuth
Manufacturer: Two Plus Two Pub.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1880685035

Book Description

Mason Malmuth was born and raised in Coral Gables, Florida. In 1973 he received his BS in Mathematics from Virginia Tech, and completed their Masters' program in 1975. While working for the United States Census Bureau in 1978, Mason stopped overnight in Las Vegas while driving to his new assignment in California. He was immediately fascinated by the games, and gambling became his major interest.

After arriving in California, he discovered that poker was legal and began playing in some of the public cardrooms, as well as taking periodic trips to Las Vegas where he would play both poker and blackjack. In 1981 he went to work for the Northrop Corporation as a mathematician and moved to Los Angeles where he could conveniently pursue his interest in poker in the large public cardrooms in Gardena, Bell Gardens, and Commerce.

In 1983 his first article, "Card Domination — The Ultimate Blackjack Weapon," was published in Gambling Times magazine. In 1987 he left his job with the Northrop Corporation to begin a career as both a full-time gambler and a gambling writer. He has had over 500 articles published in various magazines and has authored or co-authored 14 books. These include Gambling Theory and Other Topics, where he tries to demonstrate why only a small number of people are highly successful at gambling. In this book he introduces the reader to the concept of "non-self weighting strategies" and explains why successful gambling is actually a balance of luck and skill. Other books he has co-authored are Hold 'em Poker For Advanced Players, written with David Sklansky, and Seven-Card Stud For Advanced Players written with David Sklansky and Ray Zee. All the "advanced" books are considered the definitive works on these games.

His company, Two Plus Two Publishing, has sold over 400,000 books and currently has 26 titles to its credit. These books are recognized as the best in their field and are thoroughly studied by those who take gambling seriously.

Customer Reviews:

A "must read" book.......2006-06-18

I have many books that tell me "what" to do. This is the only one that really explains "why" to do it. While not always easy reading, there are amazing and valuable lessons in here. The topics apply directly to poker but also to Life.

time for a revised edition...?.......2005-12-13

When this book came out it garnered a lot of respect within the poker world. Even today his section on the standard deviation and it's importance to poker players understanding how good or bad they can run just as a function of luck as well as "non-self weighting poker ideas" are still considered required reading by many players..

Unfortunately, much of the rest of the book is outdated and of little use to today's players: He discusses lowball and jacks or better draw, he discusses "bingo", he talks about the "new games" of PaiGow and Pan 9. This book is almost 19 years old now much of the original text is outdated or obsolete. Another section that seems a bit suspect is his discussion of tournaments. Although it contains some interesting mathematical ideas, it seems of little use in the "real" world of tournament poker. The fact that Malmouth chooses not to play in tournaments has stirred controversy over the years from those whose primary involvement in poker is tournaments. This text( with the noted exceptions in paragraph one) is in need of an overhaul in my opinion and is not much more than an interesting philosophical or theoretical overview of gambling. One other section that is actually of value is his review of many of the popular gambling and poker titles by other writers. A number of players I have talked with like this section the best as it gives them direction in their book reading and buying decisions.

Fundamental understanding of gamling.......2005-07-25

The book gives a understanding of how gamling works. It explains the fluctation that create illusions among players. Illusions about how good they are, what card that makes a profit. If you want to be a serious poker player, this book gives you a fundamental understanding that you fail to find in other poker books.

Great Book.......2004-08-19

This book helped me incredibly understand the odds and help beat the casino at their games. I recommend it.

Thought Provoking and Annoaying.......2003-08-03

While reading this book it forces you to think, which is excellent. However I found myself annoayed at some of Mason's comments as alot of what he says is semi-controversial and he seems to try to make everything over controversial, more so than it has to be.

Games of the North American Indians, Vol. 1: Games of Chance

Average customer rating:

Games of the North American Indians, Vol. 1: Games of Chance
Stewart Culin
Manufacturer: University of Nebraska Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0803263554

Book Description

Games figured prominently in the myths of North American Indian tribes, and also in their ceremonies for bringing rain and fertility and combating misfortune. In his classic study, originally published in 1907 as a report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, Stewart Culin divided the games played by Indian men and women into two general types.

Volume 1 of this Bison Books edition takes up games of chance, involving guessing and throwing dice. Culin was able to show that the games of North American tribes were remarkably similar in method and purpose. He found that games using dice of various materials—wood, cane, bone, animal teeth, fruit stones—existed among 130 tribes belonging to 30 linguistic groups. The games are described in detail in this volume, and so are the popular guessing games drawing on sticks and wooden disks and involving hidden objects.

Volume 2 is just as absorbing in its elaboration of skills like archery and games like snow-snake, in which darts or javelins were hurled over snow or ice. Played throughout the continent north of Mexico were the hoop and pole game and its miniature, solitaire form called ring and pin, here illustrated. With equal authority Culin discusses ball games: racket, shinny, football, and hot ball. He includes accounts of "minor amusements": shuttlecock, tipcat, quoits, popgun, bean shooter, and cat's cradle.

Originally published in 1907, Stewart Culin's comprehensive work reveals a side of American Indian culture still only rarely shown. An experienced observer, Culin was curator of ethnology at the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences and the author of books about games in other cultures.

Understanding and Calculating the Odds: Probability Theory Basics and Calculus Guide for Beginners, with Applications in Games of Chance and Everyday Life

Average customer rating:

Average introduction to probability
Finally a readable math book!
Excellent primer and not only

Understanding and Calculating the Odds: Probability Theory Basics and Calculus Guide for Beginners, with Applications in Games of Chance and Everyday Life
Catalin Barboianu
Manufacturer: INFAROM
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 9738752019

Book Description

Man's daily life is full of decisional situations. Whether we have math skills or not, we frequently estimate and compare probabilities, sometimes without realizing it, especially when making decisions. But probabilities are not just simple numbers attached objectively or subjectively to events, as they perhaps look, and their calculus and usage is highly predisposed to qualitative or quantitative errors in the absence of proper knowledge. That is why a book explaining the probability concept and its interpretations and applications for non-mathematicians is a necessity. This is an enlightening journey through the world of probability theory. Its multiple goals are to help the reader understand what probability really means, to teach the reader how to rigorously perform and apply the probability calculus, even without a solid mathematical background, and to stimulate the reader to go deeper into the notions involved. In the first part, the author tries to build a clear image of the probability concept by reconstructing its mathematical definition step by step through its constituent notions. It starts with a general presentation of the conceptual ensemble word - definition - notion - model any theory is based on when trying to reproduce reality. Then, the probability notion is defined and explained starting from the classical definition to the definition for the countable case; then probability is presented as a limit and as a measure. This book presents not only the mathematical concept of probability, but also its philosophical aspects, the relativity of probability and its applications and even the psychology of probability. All explanations are made in a comprehensible manner and are supported with suggestive examples from nature and daily life and even with challenging math paradoxes. After these points are laid out the math chapter follows. It contains all the notions and principal theoretical results that ground Probability Theory, starting with fundamental notions like Sets, Functions, Boole algebras, and Sequences, and continuing with Measure Theory Basics - Tribes, Borel sets, Measurable spaces, and Measure, ending with Field of events, Sigma-fields, Probability, Conditional probability, Discrete random variables, Classical probability distributions, and Convergence. And, of course, it includes all important theorems and results dealing with them. A special section is dedicated to Combinatorics and combinatorial calculus. Readers with no minimal mathematical background may choose to skip this chapter because the teaching material is structured for developing probability calculus skills based on algorithmic procedures. This is the subject of the chapter titled Beginners' Calculus Guide, in which the reader is taught to apply the properties of probability and to perform calculations in practical applications. The skills acquired here can be practiced on the more than 200 solved and unsolved problems and exercises in the book. Gamblers have a dedicated chapter, which is a large collection of applied probability results covering most of the gaming situations from the major games of chance: Slots, Roulette, Blackjack and Texas Hold'em Poker. The author brings important contributions to the decision theory, offering in the last chapter a mathematical model on which to base proof that a probability-based strategy is theoretically optimum, which has immediate applications in games as well as decisional situations from daily life. Everyone should find something of interest here: philosophers and mathematicians may focus on the sections on philosophical matters of the probability model and decisional matters, students and non-mathematicians can find solid A to Z teaching material about Probability Theory and the practical person can find all the tools needed to apply and perform probability calculus without a teacher.

Customer Reviews:

Average introduction to probability.......2007-02-09

This book covers the basics in probability including boole algebras, measure spaces, law of large numbers, combinatorics, discrete random variables and bayesian probability.

The first 118 pages is basically a short story on probability summarizing the next 200 pages. The problem is the author uses an unnecessarily complex writing style enough to frustrate any individual whose first language is english what to say of others. Regardless, after a few pages you get used to it.

The mathematical chapter is really not mathematical at all. It is simply a statement of definitions, properties and theorems with no justification ( proofs ) and only a spattering of justification.

The prize however, is the problems and algorithms with plenty of solved examples. This has it's merits but at some points the author solves problems by a circuitous and often confusing route. There are other much simpler ways to solve these problems.

Regardless, I relished the fact that the author gives a general problem solving method rather than present formulas to memorize. This enhances intuition and understanding.

Finally a readable math book!.......2006-07-04

It covers fundamentals well, easy to read, good variety of problems, nice examples, philosophic sections are interesting. It has everything. I've never seen a probability book with such good examples and algorithms of solving. Most books on probability give you all of the equations, but they don't really tell you how to apply them to real situations. It is the book on probability that I have been looking for. Great.

Excellent primer and not only.......2006-06-23

This is the book to start with and to finish with. In this big book (in size and amount of information) you will find all you need to know about both theoretical and applied probability. The author made the text comprehensible for all categories of readers: laymen, students and advanced. And the result is a masterly exposition with amazing clarity. I read a lot of textbooks on this subject, but I found no one to touch on all basic issues in such a teachable manner. Each subject has a short, concise and to the point exposition. Great job and a very useful product.

Taking Chances: Winning with Probability

Average customer rating:

Best broad introduction to probability for real world games
Loose thinking can cost money...
Taking Chances
You bet

Taking Chances: Winning with Probability
John Haigh
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Entertainment | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Science | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0198526636

Amazon.com

Most of us enjoy pleasant surprises and know that many of life's greatest rewards are obtained by taking chances. This is true whether we are playing the lottery or deciding whether or not to buy flowers when we are unsure if it might be our girlfriend's birthday. So, if you enjoy taking chances and winning--and it's a safe bet that you do--this book helps you do so in a more intelligent way.

John Haigh is Reader in Mathematics at Sussex University, and his book covers a remarkably large number of topics. He tells you how to take chances playing the football pools and about the role of chance in sports such as tennis, golf, and soccer. What points in tennis are most important? If a soccer player gets a yellow card in 10 percent of games and is suspended for one game whenever he has accumulated two yellow cards, how often is he suspended? What is the chance that a team that scores the first goal goes on to win? He also writes about casino games, bridge, and Monopoly, explaining why orange is the best color of Monopoly property to own.

The book is practical rather than theoretical. It is written for anyone with a curious mind, aged perhaps 16 and up. It is not a textbook, but introduces concepts, such as random walk and game theory, that are familiar to professional mathematicians. There are technical appendices and test-yourself quizzes for readers who want to explore more. A bonus is advice on the lottery. However, with typical vividness, he cautions that if the lottery had begun with the ancient druids, and your ancestors had bought 50 tickets every week for the last 5000 years, then by now your family could expect to have won the jackpot just once! --Richard Weber, Amazon.co.uk

Book Description

What are the odds against winning the Lottery, making money in a casino, or backing the right horse? Every day, people make judgements on these matters and face other decisions that rest on their understanding of probability: buying insurance, following medical advice, carrying an umbrella. Yet many of us have a frightening ignorance of how probability works. Taking Chances presents an entertaining and fascinating exploration of probability, revealing traps and fallacies in the field. It describes and analyses a remarkable variety of situations where chance plays a role, including football pools, the Lottery, TV games, sport, cards, roulette, coins, and dice. The book guides the reader round common pitfalls, demonstrates how to make better informed decisions, and shows where the odds can be unexpectedly in your favour. This new edition has been fully updated, and includes information on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" and "The Weakest Link", plus a new chapter on Probability for Lawyers.

Customer Reviews:

Best broad introduction to probability for real world games.......2007-05-28

There are many textbooks on college-level mathematical probability, but a smaller number of what I call "textbooks lite" aimed at a reader who is willing to work to learn some interesting parts of a subject. This wonderful book teaches the basic calculations in mathematical probability, but with a combination of breadth and concreteness unrivaled by any other book I know. The book consists of short sections, each giving verbal discussion of problems involving probability, games of chance and related material, and deriving solutions using only arithmetic and occasional elementary combinatorics and algebra. It covers an impressive breadth of topics: lotteries, dice and card games, casino games, TV show games, racetrack betting, some game theory (Prisoners Dilemma, Hawk-Dove games, Male-Female reproductive strategies), combined with the basic laws of probability and the familiar birthday and coupon collector's problems. Part of the content is distinctly British rather than American (cricket and snooker; premium bonds; the particular TV shows). In addition to familiar types of elementary probability calculations such as the craps example, there are more elaborate stories and calculations involving strategies as games progress. I particularly like the chapter giving a gentle yet entertaining introduction to two-person game theory.

Loose thinking can cost money..........2004-12-20

While the book is mainly written on probability in games, which has already been covered in many books, the author coveres the basics of probability and coin tossing very nicely. He also covers the theory of dices thoroughly and approaches "Games with few choices" (Game Theory) with great enthusiasm. Finally the chapter "Probability for Lawyers" with it's terms such as the prosecutors fallacy and the defence attorne's fallacy are a must read for every person interested in the fascinating subject of probabiliy. PS: second edition covers now Bayes's theorem (previous readers criticised the author of missing this important theory in the first issue)

Taking Chances.......2000-09-10

This is a very practical book on probability using common games (cards, dice, coin-toss, etc.) as examples. Explanations are thorough without being too technical. The appendices go into more mathematical detail for those so inclined. The author is British so everything has that slant (money in pounds and pence, Grand National, and so on), but that's not a problem. There's a lot of information packed into the 330 pages of this paperback since the type is fairly small.

You bet.......2000-06-27

An excellent account of probability theory. Whilst definitely geared towards gambling it also sheds new light on some fundamental probability topics.

The text sometimes does get a little numerical - at the expense of the theoretical - but this is not necessarily a bad thing.

Book Description

Did you know that if you drive ten miles to buy a Powerball ticket, you're sixteen times more likely to die in a car crash than you are to win the jackpot? Or that, while it is nearly impossible for a coin to land on heads one hundred times in a row, it is equally improbable for any other specific sequence to come up? As Orkin's Law of Absurdity states, "Everything is impossible, yet something must happen."

Full of surprising facts and useful information, What Are the Odds? is a delightful introduction to how chance works and the role it plays in our everyday lives. It answers such practical questions as:

* When is a weird event due to chance and when is it due to something else?

* Can you make a living as a gambler? If so, which games should you play?

* Are some things possible, but so unlikely that they will never happen?

* Should "Survival of the Fittest" apply to business?

* How do you determine which strategy to use when you have no ideas what your opponent will do?

* How can you be cooperative without being exploited?

A fun guide to the principles that govern chance and the games people play, whether in a casino or in everyday life, What Are the Odds? is guaranteed to entertain and enlighten anyone interested in the nature of chance. 75 illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Good intro to basic probability.......2004-06-02

Though subtitled, "Chance in Everyday Life," Orkin primarily uses gambling and war to discuss probability. The book starts off with a few chapters of basic probability, and Orkin uses several short passages to illustrate some of the common misconceptions many of us share about the role of chance.

The meat of the book, however, is concerned with gambling and war. Orkin gives entertaining explanations for the various odds associated with roulette, craps, slots, and blackjack. His reasoning is easy to understand and will hopefully disabuse gamblers of the notion of lucky streaks. Orkin then goes on to discuss spend a couple of chapters on zero-sum game theory and the prisoner's dilemma. He effectively uses examples involving two warring generals who must decide to attack, defend, cooperate, etc. when presented with various options and the payouts associated with them.

This book would have gotten 4 stars had it not been for the unnecessary last chapter where the author discusses zero-sum game theory with respect to the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. Unfortunately, the chapter comes off less like a lesson in game theory, than an opportunity for Orkin to present his political views. Politics just doesn't belong this book.

This is a decent book and a short read. If anything, pick it up for the short discussions on gambling.

Odd book, variable content.......2003-11-25

This is a quirky book, but with lots of good information. The tone is often humorous, but ends with a serious topic. About half the book is spent looking at the house edge on roulette, craps, and slot machines. He presented a "winning strategy (almost)" for blackjack, however he does not include the calculation for the house edge there.

I thought the section on chance and chaos were excellent and I'd recommend to readers setting up the logistic difference equation of animal populations on a spreadsheet, to really demonstrate the effect of initial conditions. Contrary however to this strong section on biology, was a weak paragraph on evolution.

The later discussion on game theory was well done, looking at the Minimax criteria and the pay-off models. This chapter might have been enhanced by other strategies of decision, such as "avoiding regret". The final application of game theory to the Yugoslavian conflict was daring, and showed a different perspective about complex conflicts. Perhaps participants in Survivor, or other reality shows would benefit from this book.

Like an infomercial.......2003-08-24

This very thin book apparently contains the distilled wisdom of a statistics professor, whose only claim to fame is that he is called from time to time to help TV newscasters get some comment from an "expert."

Did you notice that all the "favourable" reviews sound as if they were written by an underpaid marketing intern? that's because no one really enjoyed this book, but the reviews have to be there to sell the book.

THE ODDS ARE IN YOUR FAVOR YOU'LL LOVE THIS TOME.......2003-05-25

Did you know that if you drive 10 miles to buy a Powerball ticket, you are 16 times more likely to die in a car crash than you are to win the jackpot? Or better yet, that if you buy
50 Powerball tickets a week, you will win --- once every 30,000 years? And how about this one: The chances of tossing a coin in the air and having it land heads up 100 times in a row are one in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. (Thatýs 30 zeros, folks.) The odds of having a great time while reading this book: 100 percent. Guaranteed. Author Michael Orkin takes a different spin on life with this lively read, a compendium of chance
in everyday life. Ultimately, itýs a book about mathematical possibility --- and it adds up to great fun!

Good introduction to probability through gambling.......2000-09-05

Orkin write clearly for the novice and uses a minimal amount of mathematics. He provides clear explanations of games of chance including roulette and blackjack. The coverage on blackjack is particularly detailed and some of the anecdotes are very amusing. It is a little disappointing however since it promises examples from everyday life in the title but concentrates mainly on gambling and coincidence and does not offer much in the way of real problems. Some of the examples are overly simplistic. Still the discussion of gambling is interesting and there are many good references.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books