274 index luck (continued) effect and, xvi­xvii; possibility of loss and, 4; as power over mathematics, 205; reason and, 10­11; religion and, xvi, 19; seven and, 19­20; superstition and, xvi, 1, 195­98 McKee, Heather, 172­74 Mandel, Howie, 169 marbles, xii, 157­59, 226 Marlowe, Christopher, 17, 157 Martingale system, 116 mathematics, xvii, 73­74; beauty of, 118­ 19; central limit theorem and, 109­10, 128­29; combinations and, 12­15, 21, 24­25, 91, 124, 136, 138, 149, 152, 215, 229­32, 257n5; definite answers and, 78; explaining world phenomena and, 1; likelihood and, 12; perfect certainty and, 77­79; permutations and, 12­13, 15, 230­31, 237; practical application of, 20; probability and, 75 (see also probabil- ity); sampling and, 79­80; stock patterns and, 56; theory of chance and, 27­36 "Mathematics of a Lady Tasting Tea" (Fisher), 78 mayores, 12, 222 Mbote, Joshua, 179­80 mean, xvii, 76, 232­33, 237; actual vs. calculated, 123­24; standard deviation and, 121­22 (see also standard deviation); weak law of large numbers and, 118­30 meld, 225 Merrill Lynch, 64 Middleton, Thomas, 17 Miljoenenjach (Chasing millions) (game show), 171 Min, xvi mode, 76 Monte Carlo, 45, 75, 95­98, 108­9, 117, 195­96, 211 Monte Carlo fallacy, 23­24, 199. See also gambler's fallacy morning- line odds, 139, 225 naked short selling, 57 Napoleon, 39­40 Nash, Richard, 33 neurobiological research, 193­94, 199­201 New Gaming Act, 42­43 Newton, Isaac, 128 New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), 55, 68, 71 ninja loans, 62­63, 225 numbers (game), 142­43, 222 odds, xiii­xiv, xvii; Allais Paradox and, 178­79; better- than- even, 29­30, 55, 134, 215­16, 237­38; blackjack and, 144­45; bookies and, 141­42; callouts and, 236­47; Cardano and, 20­24, 29­30; combinations and, 12­15, 21, 24­25, 91, 124, 136, 138, 149, 152, 215, 229­32, 257n5; coins and, 88­90; craps and, 146­49; cumulative outcomes and, 88­98, 101­2, 126; Deal or No Deal and, 171­76; defined, 225, 233; dice and, 8, 77­78; early book on, 14; favorite long- shot bias and, 141­42; Galileo and, 24; group intelligence and, 141­42; handicapping and, 24, 138­39, 213­14, 225­26; horse racing and, 138­42; house edge and, 94­95, 138, 150­52; just below even, 135­36; lotteries and, 136­38, 149; measure- ment of, 19­26; Monte Carlo fallacy and, 23­24; morning- line, 139, 225; notation for, 101­3; poker and, 80­82, 133­34, 245­46; randomness and, 5­7 (see also randomness); roulette and, 95­96, 104­8; St. Petersburg Paradox and, 93­94, 96­97; skewed, 103, 136, 179; slots and, 150­52; small deviations and, 96 odds or evens, 8 off- track betting (OTB) system, 53 1-2- 3­shoot, 8 "Optimum Strategy in Blackjack, The" (Thorp), 144­45 Paine Webber, 56 Palais Royal, 37, 40 pari-mutuel betting, 138­39, 225 partner splits, 59 Pascal, Blaise, 1, 29­31, 123­24, 216, 238, 240 Pascal's triangle, 31­32, 105, 240 pathological gamblers, xvi; behavioral analysis of, 185­89, 193­95, 199­200;