I Have a Little Bias: The Mathematics of Dreidel

It's the holiday season, and Pete and Noah are getting into the festive spirit by looking at the math behind a favorite Hannukah game. Join our hosts as they delve into the probabilities of the dreidel and uncover a counterintuitive truth about its fairness. Whatever traditions you and your family look forward to at this time of year, we promise a lively and interesting time as we take this topic for a spin. Seasons Greetings!

• Robert Feinerman's paper, An Ancient Unfair Game

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Questions Answered in the Episode: • Why is the game of dreidel mathematically unfair, and which player has the statistical advantage? • How do the different possible outcomes of each dreidel spin affect the expected value of the pot for each player?