Horizon
Horizon
Making Millions the Easy Way #S41E15
In the mid-1990s, a team of American science students took on the might of the Las Vegas casinos, and came home with millions of dollars. Hard working engineering students during the week, they became high-rolling gamblers by the weekend and proved that, in one game at least, the house doesn't always win. The game was blackjack, and the students were from the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Their audacious winnings marked the climax of an arms race between casino and player that began 40 years earlier with maths professor Edward Thorp. He realised that the one feature of blackjack that made it different from other casino games also made it possible to beat. In most gambling games - roulette, dice, slot machines, the lottery - events in the past do not determine the future. The odds are the same on every roll of the dice or spin of the wheel. Winning streaks or losing streaks may occur, but they are only one possible result from the set of all possible outcomes. A fair coin that has shown heads ten times, still only has a 50% chance of showing heads on the next flip. Casinos and bookmakers make certain that the odds are always stacked slightly in their favour. In other words, over time, the house will always win.
Episode 15 of Season 41 from Horizon — available to stream in HD on any device.
Comments & Discussions
Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts!
Recommended
Because you liked Horizon
The Hillside Strangler
The Hillside Strangler
Take That
Take That
History's Deadliest with Ving Rhames
History's Deadliest with Ving Rhames
Body in the Water
Body in the Water
Dirty Talk: When Daytime Talk Shows Ruled TV
Dirty Talk: When Daytime Talk Shows Ruled TV
Becoming
Becoming
Rise of the 49ers
Rise of the 49ers
Confessions of a Killer
Confessions of a Killer
A Knight in the Making
A Knight in the Making
Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids
Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids
Search for movies, TV shows, collections, manga, or people
Trending Now