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Students Learn the Truth of Gambling at UA Fort Smith's Casino Day
(Posted: October 18, 2006) (Printable Version)
Students in Carol Warner’s Probability and Statistics class took hands-on learning to a new level, hosting a Casino Day in the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith.
Dr. Warner’s students prepared casino games and explained the truth behind gambling as part of the three-hour activity.
Students and staff were asked to bring a canned food item for the Community Clearinghouse in Fort Smith, and in return, they received $500 in faux casino dollars. The money could be spent at casino-style games including poker, roulette, blackjack, bingo and even horseracing. While the “gamblers” didn’t win cash, there were plenty of free treats for everyone to enjoy.
Wesley Travis, one of the 60 students who worked on the project, had a few tricks up his sleeve at the roulette table.
“I do really well with reds and odds,” he said, trying to explain the logistics of the game to a fellow student, “but that’s just me.”
Such strategies were what Warner, assistant professor of mathematics, wanted her students to evaluate during Casino Day events.
“You have to gamble just for fun,” she said, pointing to the posters around the room that listed the improbability of winning various casino-style games.
Despite the overwhelming odds against winning, Dr. Warner said everyone was guaranteed to have fun.
“The students are having a great time,” said Warner, whose class even provided candy, cupcakes, hot dogs and drinks to all Casino Day “gamblers.”
Warner’s students didn’t forget about the lottery either, showing surprising statistics on the odds of the nation-wide Powerball Lottery, which boasts locations in 29 states and jackpots of over $40 million.
For anyone who questioned the probability of having the winning Powerball ticket, Warner pointed out her favorite statistic: The odds of winning the Powerball Lottery are 146,107,962:1.
“To put this in perspective,” Dr. Warner said, “my students showed that such a ratio is equal to choosing one specific dime from a continuous stack of dimes more than 122 miles high.”
Dr. Warner said another Casino Day is in the works for next semester.
| Article by: Kelly Bisby, Student Assistant, Public Relations Office | |
| Photo(s) by: Kelly Bisby |
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