3 minute read
Do you ever shuffle a deck of cards? Did you know that at that moment you're performing a unique action that has never been done before? Why? Because mathematically speaking, it's impossible to ever get the same order when shuffling the 52 playing cards.
When you have a certain number of items and you want to know in how many ways you can arrange them, mathematics uses the factorial function. For a normal deck of cards without jokers, so 52, you write the factorial as 52! The number of ways you can arrange 52 items in a straight line is calculated as 52!=52∗51∗50∗...∗3∗2∗1. The result is an absolutely enormous number: 80,658,175,170,943,878,571,660,636,856,403,766,975,289,505,440,883,277,824,000,000,000,000.
Trillion times trillion
British comedian, actor, presenter and writer Stephen Fry attempts to make this number comprehensible in a YouTube video. Imagine that every star in our galaxy has a trillion planets. For clarification, trillion is written as a 1 followed by 12 zeros. On each of those planets live a trillion people who each have a trillion decks of cards. If all of them had managed to shuffle all those cards somehow a thousand times per second since the Big Bang, they would only now be getting to a repeat.
Play your cards!
You can shuffle cards in different ways. From a simple overhand shuffle to the more advanced Hindu shuffle or riffle shuffle. In his video, Stephen demonstrates several techniques. But did you know where you can admire them live? At the gaming tables at VIAGE, of course!
The most popular card games are blackjack, baccarat and 3 card poker. Card game players love strategic thinking. That doesn't automatically mean the rules are difficult. With blackjack, you're ready after five minutes. The goal here is to beat the dealer. You can ask for as many cards as you want, but the sum of these cards must not exceed 21.
"In order to win you must be prepared to lose sometime. And leave one or two cards showing." - Van Morrison
James Bond prefers baccarat in his many films. Here, the player must guess who has the highest cards: the bank (the casino) or the player. Colors don't matter and the value can never be higher than 9. In 3 card poker or punto banco, players don't play against each other but against the dealer. After players have placed their bets, everyone gets three cards, including the dealer. Whoever folds loses their bet; whoever decides to continue playing with the received cards bets the same amount again. We also play other poker variants like Ultimate Texas Hold'em and Caribbean Stud Poker at VIAGE. Our hosts are always ready to tell you all about them.
Are you tired of playing or want to think about your strategy for the next game? At our CINNA bar you can get a delicious cocktail. Feel free to order a Vodka Martini, shaken not stirred. For a hearty bite, we welcome you at VIAGE Grill where we swear by our 'license to grill'. Or enjoy summery snacks with a Mediterranean twist and refresh yourself with cocktails and other ice-cold drinks while looking out over the impressive panorama of Brussels from our rooftop terrace Casa Alta.
