Well timed, this article. I just got back from a trip to Vegas. I kno intrinsically that my chances of winning from one deal to another at a blackjack table are equal (card counting notwithstanding). And yet I can't deny that there were times when I was "hot." Of course you'll occasionally win a few times in a row, but it seemed to change with dealers and new shuffles.<p>About the only thing I could attribute it to was my own change of pace and self awareness. If I was hot, I might hit out of confidence without second guessing myself. Incidentally, this is what the dealer will also do, only they do it under the guise of requirement.
A study found there is a mild hot hand effect in the NBA, but players who've made several shots in a row and guarded more closely by the defense, negating the effect. As n example, If a player hits 2 50% shots in a row, his next shot will be a 45% shot, which he will hit at a 47% clip
Here is Stephen Jay Gould on Joe DiMaggio's great 1941 hitting streak:
<a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1988/aug/18/the-streak-of-streaks/" rel="nofollow">http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1988/aug/18/the-str...</a>