coach belly are you an advantage player.

[redietz]

Why do you seem to be under the impression that I have anything against MDawg? My entire purpose in this thread was to demonstrate that his claims (at least the ones I have read) are not mathematically ridiculous.

Flattered that you consider me a mathematician, but if I'm on the roster of mathematicians at all...it's strictly riding the pine. I'm just a guy with a little bit of a math background who's better than average at statistics and probability.

If anyone is interested in the details, PM me and I'll run through my routine for checking up on math. While I respect Mission and tableplay and mickey (regarding machine play math) and others on these forums, I would not use any of their numbers without multiple outside corroboration.

I start by discussing any problem with Scott, who retired from ETSU after teaching probability and stats for the sociology department. He's not a mathematician per se, but he is a Fulbright who taught math. I can usually understand maybe a third of what he tells me, but it gives me a starting point and helps me ask questions. Then there's Bob who lives 60 yards down the road, who is a lifetime mathematician (and who has a bigger comic book collection than me). I wouldn't understand much of what he says. Then I get to consult some grad students in the math department, who are usually more than glad to help civilians, and they are more patient with dunderheads. Or I drop an email to a professor who teaches an online probability course at Texas. Eventually I get some idea what I'm supposed to be talking about.

If you'll notice from my blog entries, of which there are about 150, I don't tackle math specifics unless they are verified correct.

When I was in my 20's and 30's, I played on the Penn State math department grad/faculty hoops team. It was like staying at a Holiday Inn Express. We had a power forward from China and an off guard from Taiwan and a Romanian point guard. It taught me mathematical humility, although once or twice I actually corrected them regarding some sports analysis math.