ABSTRACT
The theory of probability is an important branch of mathematics with many practical applications in the physical, medical, biological, and political sciences. Students may have misconceptions about probability situations. This chapter addresses many of these misconceptions and gives students the necessary tools for determining whether a game is "fair" or "unfair"—that is, whether the person playing has a high enough probability of winning. It begins with an introduction of basic chip, die, and hand games for the students to explore. The chapter looks at both experimental and theoretical probabilities in determining the fairness of the games presented. Students also learn to organize their data and turn unfair games into fair ones by changing the rules or number of points awarded for winning.
