ABSTRACT
Have you ever contemplated why people (not just Russians) play Russian roulette? Of course they win the money when their opponents lose (and blow their brains out). More important than the money, though, is the thrill of danger and of having won the biggest gamble of all-life itself. So too, do speculators and gamblers-and the naïve and ignorant-attempt to make a killing in the market. By contrast, the aware strategic player considers his expected losses and his worst possible losses rather than being blinded by the big payoff.
When radio giveaways started. First it was a box of soap flakes. Then it was a fur coat. Pretty soon the sponsors were offering trips to Bermuda or Hawaii, then cash prizes and bigger cash prizes, and then, as the TV age came into its own, great bundles of big money, with Cadillac convertibles to the losers for consolation prizes. What more could anyone ask? Big, showy prizes, lots of money, and no work. Something for nothing in a big way.
