Whenever Web Watch visits Las Vegas, we like to watch people play the “carnival” games scattered across the casino.
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.