The Theory of Gambling and Statistical Logic
- 2nd Edition - November 1, 2012
- Latest edition
- Author: Richard A. Epstein
- Language: English
Early in his rise to enlightenment, 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… Read more
Description
Description
Early in his rise to enlightenment, 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.
Recent advances in the field, particularly Parrondo's paradox, have triggered a surge of interest in the statistical and mathematical theory behind gambling. This interest was acknowledge in the motion picture, "21," inspired by the true story of the MIT students who mastered the art of card counting to reap millions from the Vegas casinos. Richard Epstein's classic book on gambling and its mathematical analysis covers the full range of games from penny matching to blackjack, from Tic-Tac-Toe to the stock market (including Edward Thorp's warrant-hedging analysis). He even considers whether statistical inference can shed light on the study of paranormal phenomena. Epstein is witty and insightful, a pleasure to dip into and read and rewarding to study. The book is written at a fairly sophisticated mathematical level; this is not "Gambling for Dummies" or "How To Beat The Odds Without Really Trying." A background in upper-level undergraduate mathematics is helpful for understanding this work.
Key features
Key features
- Comprehensive and exciting analysis of all major casino games and variants
- Covers a wide range of interesting topics not covered in other books on the subject
- Depth and breadth of its material is unique compared to other books of this nature
Richard Epstein's website: www.gamblingtheory.net
Readership
Readership
Table of contents
Table of contents
Dedication
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter One. Kubeiagenesis
References
Bibliography
Chapter Two. Mathematical Preliminaries
The Meaning of Probability
The Calculus of Probability
Statistics
Game Theory
Random Walks
Quantum Games
References
Bibliography
Chapter Three. Fundamental Principles of a Theory of Gambling
Decision Making and Utility
Prospect Theory
The Basic Theorems
References
Bibliography
Chapter Four. Parrondo’s Principle
The Basic Principle
Multiplayer Games
History-Dependent Parrondo Games
Quantum Parrondo Games
Cooperative Games
The Allison Mixture
References
Bibliography
Chapter Five. Coins, Wheels, and Oddments
Biased Coins
Statistical Properties of Coins
Coin Matching
Coin Games
Heads–Tails Interplay
The Two-Armed Bandit
Nontransitive Sequences
Quantum Coin Tossing
Diverse Recreations
Casino Games
Public Games
Puzzlements
References
Bibliography
Chapter Six. Coups and Games with Dice
A Brief Chronicle
Detection of Bias
Divers Dice Probabilities
Structured Dice Games
Nontransitive Dice
Sicherman’s Dice
Casino Games
Backgammon
Dice Divertissements
References
Bibliography
Chapter Seven. The Play of the Cards
Origins and Species
Randomness and Shuffling
Card Probabilities
Matching Problems (Rencontres)
Selected Sidelights
Informal Card Games
Formal Card Games
Casino Games
Card Conundra
References
Bibliography
Chapter Eight. Blackjack
Memorabilia
Rules and Format
Assumptions
Optimal Strategies
Card Counting
Shuffle Tracking (Ref. Hall)
Side Bets
Blackjack Variations
Pooled Resources
References
Bibliography
Chapter Nine. Statistical Logic and Statistical Games
Strategic Selection
The Stock Market
Horse Racing
Duels and Truels
Tournaments
Random Tic-Tac-Toe
Inquizition
References
Bibliography
Chapter Ten. Games of Pure Skill and Competitive Computers
Definitions
Tic-Tac-Toe
Nim and Its Variations
Single-Pile Countdown Games
The Grundy Function; Kayles
Seemingly Simple Board Games
More Complex Games
Games Computers Play
The Shadow of Things to Come
Board Bafflers
References
Bibliography
Chapter Eleven. Fallacies and Sophistries
Psychology and Philosophy
Fallacies
Paranormal Phenomena
References
Bibliography
Epilogue
Appendices
Index
Product details
Product details
- Edition: 2
- Latest edition
- Published: December 28, 2012
- Language: English
About the author
About the author
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