slightly less than the true odds of win-
ning the game. There are definitely
exceptions to this rule, which is why
there are professional gamblers, but the
majority of the time, the casino has the
advantage.
For example, if the house edge for
blackjack or slots is 5 percent, then for
every $100 bet initially made, the player
can expect to lose $5. This not only
helps the casino, but it is sometimes a
way for patrons to compare one game to
another, and even estimate how much
they may lose.
Of course, this is not always so
straightforward. Some people win and
others lose in the short run, but the casi-
no always wins in the long run. There are
also exceptions because of the way a game
is played, such as in craps (see below). The
best scenario would be to have no house
edge, or an edge against the house.
What are dice?
Dice are small cubes usually used in games of chance. Each die (dice is the plural)
has six sides numbered with dots from one to six. The dots are placed on the cubes so
that the sum of dots on opposite sides equals seven; the total number of dots on each
die equals 21. They are mostly associated with certain types of games, with the sim-
plest involving a player, or many players, who throw (or toss or roll) the dice for the
highest sum.
Dice have been around for more than 3,000 years, with evidence found in ancient
Egyptian tombs, Chinese burial chambers, and the ruins of Babylon. The Greeks and
Romans were avid users of dice and associated games, and they have been popular
from the Middle Ages on. Dice have been made from many materials, including ivory,
bone, wood, metal, and eventually plastic.
Not all dice are square. The cube (or hexahedron) belongs to the group of five Pla-
tonic solids, or solids formed by regular polygons. Thus, other Platonic solids have
also been made into dice, including shapes (polyhedra) such as tetrahedrons, octahe-
drons, and dodecahedrons, which are used for certain types of games. (For more infor-
mation about Platonic solids and polyhedra, see “Geometry and Trigonometry.”) 433
RECREATIONAL MATH
This woman may have hit it big on the slot
machines, but statistics show that if she keeps play-
ing she will eventually lose money to the casino,
which has the “house edge.” Taxi/Getty Images.