The Probability of Getting At Least 3-of-a-Kind in a 3-Deck Card Game

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the probability of getting at least 3-of-a-kind when dealing ten cards from a combined deck of 156 cards, consisting of three standard 52-card decks. Participants are exploring the implications of this probability in the context of card combinations and outcomes.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss various methods to calculate the probability, including complementary counting techniques. Questions arise about the definition of "3-of-a-kind" and the need for clarity on what specific outcomes are being sought. There are suggestions to consider the total combinations and to rule out scenarios with fewer than three of a kind.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants providing different perspectives on how to approach the problem. Some have offered potential methods for calculating the probability, while others are seeking clarification on the definitions and assumptions involved in the problem.

Contextual Notes

There is uncertainty regarding the precise interpretation of "3-of-a-kind" in this context, as well as the need to account for all possible combinations in the calculations. Participants are also considering the implications of having multiple decks and the resulting card distribution.

CanadianEh
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What is the probability of...

1. Ten cards are dealt from a deck of 156 cards (3 standard 52 card decks) What is the probability of getting at LEAST 3-of-a-kind (up to 10-of-a-kind).
My Attempt:
3. P(at least 3-of-a-kind)
= 1 - P(10 different ranks) - P(9 different ranks)
= 1 - [13C10 * (12C1)^10 + 13C9 * (9C1) * (12C2)^1 * (12C1)^8] / [156C10]
= 1 - [ 286 * 12^10 + 715 * 9 * 66 * 12^8 ] / 1752195368913990
= 1 - 200325892276224 / 1752195368913990
= 1 - 0.1143285137207
= 0.8856714862793
This is a data management question. Please help! Thank you.
 
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CanadianEh said:
1. Ten cards are dealt from a deck of 156 cards (3 standard 52 card decks) What is the probability of getting at LEAST 3-of-a-kind (up to 10-of-a-kind).



My Attempt:
3. P(at least 3-of-a-kind)
= 1 - P(10 different ranks) - P(9 different ranks)
= 1 - [13C10 * (12C1)^10 + 13C9 * (9C1) * (12C2)^1 * (12C1)^8] / [156C10]
= 1 - [ 286 * 12^10 + 715 * 9 * 66 * 12^8 ] / 1752195368913990
= 1 - 200325892276224 / 1752195368913990
= 1 - 0.1143285137207
= 0.8856714862793



This is a data management question. Please help! Thank you.

I'm not quite sure what the question is here. What does 3-of-a-kind mean in this situation? Does it mean 3 of the ace of Spades, 3 spades, 3 aces...
In other words, precicely what is the outcome we seek to get?

And - anyway, do not forget all possible combinations in your calculation.
 


3-of-a-kind is like 3 Fours, 3 Fives, etc... I need help either finding the probability to getting 3-of-a-kind if 10 cards are dealt or AT LEAST 3-of-a-kind. I hope that clears it up.
 


CanadianEh said:
3-of-a-kind is like 3 Fours, 3 Fives, etc... I need help either finding the probability to getting 3-of-a-kind if 10 cards are dealt or AT LEAST 3-of-a-kind. I hope that clears it up.

Yes, it does. There are 3x4 of each kind then in the three decks, that's to say 12 Fours, 12 Fives and so on. This is not a simple task, as far as I can see. Try to rule out the "oposite", that's to say, find the probability of getting only 1 of each kind + 1 or 2 of each kind + 2 of each kind. If this is possible, the rest will be the probability of getting 3 or more of a kind.
 
Last edited:


Exactly, there are 12 of each kind and 10 cards are being dealt.
 


I assume you want the total probability, so it suffices to calculate
1 - P
where P is the probability "there are at most 2 of every card".

Then because all cards are equivalent, I'd first calculate the probabilities of
2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,J
2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,10
2,3,4,5,6,7,8,8,9,9
2,3,4,5,6,6,7,7,8,8
2,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7
2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6

Then you can rename the cards (for example, in the first one I have chosen 2 - J but instead of those 10 you can have any other, so you'd get a factor binom(13, 10) I think, similarly for the others).

Could this work or did I miss any important points?
 

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