The Great Equalizer: Pump Up The Volume

Spinal_Tap_-_Up_to_Eleven (1)

“These Go To 11” – Nigel Tufnel, Spinal Tap

In DFS, we can never know our true win rate in advance – we can only deconstruct it once the dust has settled. The good news is, we can get closer to it though. This can be achieved by increasing volume, or playing a higher number of games.

As a simple example, let’s say that you put together a lineup that ranks within the 95th percentile, so you’ve done better than 95 out of 100 players. You could STILL theoretically play 10 head-to-head games and lose them ALL! This is the nature of a thing called – variance.

Well wait a second here, you made a lineup which was better than 95% of the other players and LOST! That doesn’t seem to be very fair at all! Unfortunately, you are suffering from a common affliction –  small sample size.

After all, you may flip a fair coin heads/tails and it may come up heads 3 times in a row, 5 times, or yes, even 10. But 3 million times in a row? (Unless of course, you are former Harvard student, Professor and current Stanford professor Persi Diaconis)  A smarter decision than playing 10 expensive games may be to play 100 or even 1,000 games at lower stakes. Doing so will get you closer to your theoretical true win rate and broaden your sample size significantly.

If you go one step further than most and take a moment to post the games yourself using the ‘create’ panel, and utilize the opponent limiting tab on DraftKings, it should diversify your opponent pool in such a way that it reduces variance.

DFS and Its Utility as an Entertainment Product

You will hear the owners of DFS sites constantly quipping about skill, but a close second is the fact that the majority of players view their offering on sites like DraftKings and Fanduel as an entertainment product.

I thought about this blog after watching the new Bond movie – Spectre. I paid for my ticket, enjoyed the movie, and afterwards, left relatively satisfied. I did not leave the theater with anything but the stub in my pocket. And that was ok. I had just consumed an entertainment product.

This is how the vast majority of users consumer daily fantasy sports. Focusing on the ‘entertainment value’ is of key importance for the DFS community because there has to be an aura that it is fun to play, even if you don’t win. The fact is that more often than not more people will lose than win. That’s just the math side of this business.

What is harder to calculate in the enjoyment derived from these games by the players, win lose or draw. This idea is very similar to the theory of utility discussed in economics. How many ‘utils’ did an individual derive from watching Red Zone on Sunday? It is always a subjective measure.

What is more tangible are the fiscal losses incurred and emotional effects of losing on players of any game – of skill, or otherwise. One of the more responsible things to do would be to warn others to consider their ‘utility bill’. Gambling addiction is real and there are resources available to help ensure that your ‘utility bill’ doesn’t get too high!

I’ve included a few below. Please game responsibly, or not at all!

http://www.ncpgambling.org/programs-resources/resources/

http://www.helpguide.org/articles/addiction/gambling-addiction-and-problem-gambling.

NATIONAL PROBLEM GAMBLING HELPLINE

1-800-522-4700