Date:         Mon, 22 Nov 2010 12:12:53 -0500
Reply-To:     peterflomconsulting@mindspring.com
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Peter Flom <peterflomconsulting@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject:      Re: Register for SAS Global Forum 2011 _AND_ Add a Pre-Conference
              Seminar to Your Schedule!
In-Reply-To:  <ED33F332DD6E4DA9A621CB887C7A5578@D1871RB1>
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Lionel Teed wrote
<<<
I would think that having all those statisticians, well versed in the use of
a high powererd analytical tool has got to have some of the Casino guys
worried!

Visions of the movie 21 keep playing through my head...only with SAS Folks
as the actors! And with Jim Goodnight starring in the Kevin Spacey role!
>>>

I doubt that there is a high correlation between the ability to card count
well and the ability to do the analysis that allows one to figure out how to
card count well, much less the ability to card count and get away with it.

And I don't think statistics enters into it at all, at least, not anymore,
with simulation being entirely possible.  Way back when this started, they
probably needed to do some calculating of probabilities.  But now?  Write a
simulation program, test it out well, and let it run for a hundred million
hands.

Counting cards well, OTOH, requires very good short term and long term
memory.  Rain man would be perfect at it.

And getting away with it requires the ability to read people, to act well,
and to know when to run.

Peter