Customer Reviews

Mathematics in Games, Sports, and Gambling: - The Games People Play

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This book was originally intended to be a textbook for a college freshman mathematics seminar. The book states that you need high school algebra as a prerequisite for this book, and this is accurate. If the idea of graphing y=ax+b on paper seems easy, you have the background to read and appreciate this book.

I am amazed at how well written this book is. It explains some very serious topics in ways that are both interesting and understandable. I have never seen a serious book on mathematics that reads so easily. Nearly every topic covered is of interest to anyone interesting in sports betting or gambling. These topics include basic probability (including Bayesian probability), counting, binomial and Poisson distributions, analysis of data, "averages" and distributions, and combinatorics. Don't be intimidated by any of these topics if you have never heard of them -- they are each explained clearly with many interesting examples. What are the odds that a Nascar driver will have a flat tire during a race, or that a baseball player will have x hits in y at bats? What is Alex Rodriguez's true slugging average, with 99% confidence? How consistent is Pete Sampras's double-fault rate? There are numerous examples in different sports. Most of the examples and problems posed address "real-world" issues that team managers would worry about, or a casino actuary might consider.

In addition to the topics directly applicable to professional gamblers, there are a lot of other theoretical gaming topics that fall into the mix. This book provides an easy-to-read "toolbox" to solve all sorts of problems. If you are new to sports betting or gambling, and want to tackle problems yourself, this is a fantastic resource to get you started. If you have already studied probability, statistics and discrete/combinatorial mathematics, this won't offer anything new (other than interesting examples.)