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Re: Shuffling (fwd)




Forwarded message:

> From: [email protected] (Ian Goldberg)
> Subject: Re: Shuffling (fwd)
> Date: 29 Oct 1998 16:16:41 GMT

> The "7 times" theorem uses the following model of a shuffle:
> 
> o The deck is cut into two parts, with the number of cards in each piece
>     binomially distributed (with mean 26, of course).

> o The resulting deck is then achieved by having cards fall from one or the
>     other of the two parts; a card will fall from one of the parts with
>     probability proportional to the number of cards remaining in the part.

The only problem I see with this model, re real card decks, is that the
probability for a given card to fall to the top of the shuffled pile isn't
related in any way to the number of cards in either stack in a real-world
shuffle.

It also doesn't address the problem of 'clumping' where a group of cards (ie
royal flush) stay together through the shuffling. This is the reason that
real dealers try for a 1-for-1 shuffle each time.


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