You know the games – high visibility on the gaming floor, but not a lot of chance that the people playing will actually walk away a winner. An example: we once watched someone blow through about $1000 in 10 minutes playing Casino War. Yes, the children’s card game WAR as played in a casino. He didn’t stand a chance (he should have moved to craps or blackjack, where the odds were much more in his favor).
Knowing what the odds are in any scenario, whether it be a game of chance or a life-altering event, is important.
But odds need to be put into perspective. One could tell you that you have a 1-in-6 chance of taking the unshaken beer out of the 6-pack carrier during a game of Russian Beer Roulette, or they could just bet whether you can roll a six on a die. They’re the same odds, but sometimes you need these things pointed out to you.
So here’s a look at SOME OTHER ODDS, PUT INTO PERSPECTIVE, which should give you a better appreciation of how common (or rare) some items actually are:
- Odds of successfully climbing Mount Everest: 1 in 3
Odds of getting divorced: 1 in 3 - Odds of dying from being bitten by a dog: 1 in 700,000
Odds of having quadruplets: 1 in 700,000 - Odds that your child is a genius: 1 in 250
Odds of writing a New York Times best seller: 1 in 220 - Odds of being the victim of serious crime in your lifetime: 1 in 20
Odds of getting colon cancer: 1 in 20 - Odds of an amateur golfer getting a hole in one: 1 in 5,000
Odds of dying from electrocution: 1 in 5,000 - Odds of guessing a four-digit lock combination on the first guess: 1 in 10,000
Odds of finding a four-leaf clover on the first try: 1 in 10,000 - Odds of any given American being elected president: 1 in 10 million
Odds of dying from parts falling off an airplane: 1 in 10 million