Calculated Bets Computers, Gambling, and Mathematical Modeling to Win [Paperback]

A story of using computer simulations and mathematical modeling techniques to predict the outcome of jai-alai matches and bet on them successfully.This book tells the story of how the author used computer simulations and mathematical modeling techniques to predict the outcome of jai-alai matches and bet on them successfully. The author weaves into this story other aspects of gambling and mathematics, discussing gambling systems, both successful and unsuccessful, for such games as lotto, roulette, blackjack, and Wall Street. From this book students will gain insight into what is really involved in building and validating a mathematical model and implementing it on a computer. For those who are inspired to want to build one themselves, a list of exciting modeling projects with data sources on the WWW is included to get them started.This book tells the story of how the author used computer simulations and mathematical modeling techniques to predict the outcome of jai-alai matches and bet on them successfully. The author weaves into this story other aspects of gambling and mathematics, discussing gambling systems, both successful and unsuccessful, for such games as lotto, roulette, blackjack, and Wall Street. From this book students will gain insight into what is really involved in building and validating a mathematical model and implementing it on a computer. For those who are inspired to want to build one themselves, a list of exciting modeling projects with data sources on the WWW is included to get them started.Calculated Bets describes a gambling system that works. Steven Skiena, a jai-alai enthusiast and computer scientist, documents how he used computer simulations and modeling techniques to predict the outcome of jai-alai matches and increased his initial stake by 544% in one year. Skiena demonstrates how his jai-alai system functions like a stock trading system, and includes examples of how gambling and mathematics interact in program trading systems, how ls3