You just learn something new every day
As my readers know, I will never tire of highlighting human stupidity. Some of the Mark Pilarski's
columns remound (God, I love using that word) me of the fact that the
average person does not understand even basic probability worth jack. A
good example case in point would be the first question in the column "Free radical play has no effect on your cards".
Many people who consider themselves competent blackjack players believe that in a shuffled deck from which some cards have already been dealt, it is vastly more probable to have a ten as the top card and a small card as a second card, than it is to have a small card as the top card and a ten as the second card.
Don't laugh, this is not a joke. They actually believe this, although perhaps they would see their folly if you put their belief this way and asked them if they really believe that. But many players do believe, as demonstrated by their actions, something that is logically equivalent with the previous absurdity.
I once had a person who considers herself knowledgeable in blackjack explain me that if all players are standing and they hope that the dealer who is showing six will get a ten and therefore has to take another card and probably bust, they dread that the last player will take a card. If this last player takes a card instead of standing (since hitting is the correct move whenever the basic strategy chart tells him that he should hit), and the card that he gets turns out to be a ten, the other players will start verbally berating that player for taking the ten that "should" have gone to the dealer. I couldn't believe my ears as she told me this, and I tried to explain her that the last player taking the card or not taking it has no effect whatsoever in the probability of dealer busting.
I don't know what I would do if I was the last player in a blackjack table and that happened to me. I would perhaps just offer to switch places with the loudmouth. Or perhaps before hitting, I could look at the people before me and ask them if they will thank me if I get a small card.
Many people who consider themselves competent blackjack players believe that in a shuffled deck from which some cards have already been dealt, it is vastly more probable to have a ten as the top card and a small card as a second card, than it is to have a small card as the top card and a ten as the second card.
Don't laugh, this is not a joke. They actually believe this, although perhaps they would see their folly if you put their belief this way and asked them if they really believe that. But many players do believe, as demonstrated by their actions, something that is logically equivalent with the previous absurdity.
I once had a person who considers herself knowledgeable in blackjack explain me that if all players are standing and they hope that the dealer who is showing six will get a ten and therefore has to take another card and probably bust, they dread that the last player will take a card. If this last player takes a card instead of standing (since hitting is the correct move whenever the basic strategy chart tells him that he should hit), and the card that he gets turns out to be a ten, the other players will start verbally berating that player for taking the ten that "should" have gone to the dealer. I couldn't believe my ears as she told me this, and I tried to explain her that the last player taking the card or not taking it has no effect whatsoever in the probability of dealer busting.
I don't know what I would do if I was the last player in a blackjack table and that happened to me. I would perhaps just offer to switch places with the loudmouth. Or perhaps before hitting, I could look at the people before me and ask them if they will thank me if I get a small card.
Hmmm, there is no such word as remound, although I suspect that you know that.
The past tense of remind is reminded.
Posted by beenaround | 12:13 PM
It should be no surprise that many people who gamble are complete idiots. However, since blackjack has a reputation as a beatable (or at least close to break even) game, it also attracts people who know a decent amount of math, or who know enough to trust what smarter people tell them about math.
Mix these two groups together and you get a microcosm of the real world where hippies and preachers go apeshit over GM foods, nuclear power, cloning, stem cells, and other applications of science. It is the same thing happening when some dumbass complains about someone playing basic strategy correctly. "That was the dealer's bust card!" Translation: "My IQ is 58."
Posted by Udolpho | 3:36 PM
Hmmm, there is no such word as remound
Oh, in my blog there is. I like the manly and assertive sound of "remound" much better than the sissy and awkward "reminded".
Perhaps I should start a project of making as many English verb irregular as possible, provided that this makes them sound better. Some kind of an language anti-simplification effort. At least Panu should be happy.
Posted by Ilkka Kokkarinen | 4:36 PM