Numbers, numbers everywhere

5 November 2019

By Frank Scoblete

I’ve been writing gambling columns for Casino Player for almost 30 years. I’ve always tried to make my columns clear and understandable. I think I succeeded (I hope I succeeded).

But today’s column is different. It might be confusing. You might think it is brilliant or idiotic. It came out of a dream I had last night. I awoke and rushed into my office to jot it all down so here it goes:

The number eight is considered to be a perfect number. Look at it: 8; it has no beginning and no end. It is infinite.

All the other numbers come to crashing halts: 1 ends on the top and the bottom; 2 ends on the top and the bottom; 3 ends on the top and the bottom; 4 ends on the side and the bottom; 5 ends on the top and the bottom; 6 ends on the top; 7 ends on the side of the top and on the bottom; 9 ends on the bottom. But 8 goes on forever.

Now what about zero – as in 0? Is that a number? If it is then it is something, meaning nothing is something. If it is something then it too is infinite, no beginning and no end. But doesn’t zero mean it isn’t something?

What about 10; a 1 and a 0? Is that zero attached to that one actually a zero or is it the same symbol as a zero but with a different meaning? I have ten fingers, written as 10, but when you look at my fingers there is no zero involved; that just comes when I write it as a number. Look, I write five or 5 and I can count five fingers. Can I count zero fingers? Say I am nowhere near a hand; say I never saw a hand; say there are no hands in the universe then does “no fingers” have a meaning? Is “no fingers” something real? Bottom line, in a universe with no fingers does no fingers have a meaning? There are no flagoleftons in the universe too. What does that mean? Are they real because they don’t exist?

Now, I have read on the internet quips by people who think they have discovered great meaning by writing something such as this: “I’ve lived another day and I have not had to use algebra or geometry!” Nonsense. These people are wrong. They use just about all mathematics in walking, using their vocal cords when talking, running, jumping, doing their checkbooks, putting those checkbooks in their purse or pockets, lifting their beers to their lips, and multiple other things. They just are not aware of such usage.

Look at an infant learning the mathematics of getting around, of handling a fork, a spoon, of eating without getting the food all over his or her face. Think of the math, the geometry, of trying to walk without tumbling; think how long it takes to get the measure of striding. The infant is not figuring out these things with words but his body is figuring out these things through its muscles – again, math. You might call it “muscle math,” the equivalent of muscle memory.

Now what has all this to do with casino gambling? Plenty.

There are casino players who decry using the math of the games to make their betting decisions, often making fun of other casino players who do so. The math-negativos call these mathematically astute players “math boys,” (sometimes using “boyz” as a pejorative to degrade such players) or “mathletes,” or “those jerks who think math is a big deal.” They think gambling has nothing to do with math.

How wrong such anti-math folks can be! They are probably the same people who claim they never use math in most of their daily functions when they are using it consistently day by day.

Take a look at all the games and you will see that the underlying basis of each and every one of them is mathematical. Even games where picture cards are used these are often valued as 10 or 0 (if valued as zero do picture cards exist?); same with various values for the aces, could be 11 or could be a one.

Craps is a game that is strictly by the numbers; not just the numbers upon which you bet but the angles of your throws. You may have no ability to control the dice but every throw can be measured by angles and speeds and degrees of bounce.

Slot machines, even those with fancy graphics, are controlled by RNGs, those ubiquitous random number generators. You put your money or credit voucher into the machine (those vouchers are numbers) and the machine’s numbers (RNGs) tell how you did.

As the non-math folks tell us, we are all math boyz and math girlz. Oh, and by the way, we are 100% right!

Visit Frank’s website at www.frankscoblete.com. Frank’s latest books are Confessions of a Wayward Catholic!; I Am a Dice Controller and I Am a Card Counter. All of Frank’s books are available from Amazon.com, Kindle, Barnes and Noble, e-books and at bookstores.