by ugrant » Fri Sep 04, 2009 10:34 am
If this subject was strictly about math, then the hardcore comments about it being "black and white" would make sense and have value. But, it's not. It's about odds. Odds are more flexible, odds are why some professional gamblers are more successful than others.
Strat uses statistical random events determined by dice rolls. That's not math, although math is used as the vehicle to get a random outcome. Using math one can determine what the odds are of getting specific outcomes. Some odds outcomes, obviously, will occur more often than others - and in Strat those odds can be calculated with specificity (and are used as the basis to duplicate the statistics achieved by individual players during a season).
Statistical odds: chance of rolling a specific column in Strat, 1/6 (16.7%). Chance of duplicating that column in the next roll: 1/6. Chance of rolling some other column, 5/6 (83.3%).
There is an 83.3% chance the follow on roll will not be in the same column, that's the odds (determined by math). The manager who uses same column hitters has only a 16.7% chance of getting a favorable outcome, while the manager who varies the columns of his hitters has a 83.3% chance he'll get a 4/5 (20%) chance of getting a column in his favor. Small, but over the course of a season the odds are favorable it will occur enough to make a difference in his favor.
If Rmilter wants to field a lineup of entirely 1 column hitters, I want to be in his division. The odds are his team will have difficulties sustaining rallys, since there is only a 16.7% chance each roll will duplicate the best column of his hitters and a 83.3% chance each roll won't. That's odds, using math.
But then, I've just been accused of being superstitious. Maybe I should just dig out my old rabbit's foot and keep putting my shoes on the same way every day...