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Monday, February 2, 2009
Friday, December 26, 2008
blackjack
During the early 70th, Dr. Keith Taft began developing the first concealed blackjack computer, and by 1972, Keith had started using a computer in the Nevada casinos to play "perfect" blackjack. Nevada had no laws at that time prohibiting the use of devices at their tables. Keith's first computer weighed fifteen pounds. He went on to develop dozens of concealable computers and other electronic devices over the next two decades, ever smaller and more powerful. By the mid-'70s, Keith and his son, Marty, had met Al Francesco, and they would be putting together teams of players using computers to beat the blackjack tables.
Here's how it worked
In the toe of each shoe there were two "switches", or buttons - one above each big toe and one beneath - for a total of four switches. Each switch conveyed a different code to the computer, which was a small epoxy-encased device that was strapped to the calf beneath the trousers. The computer itself was about the size of a pack of cigarettes, but thinner. By using a series of toe taps, kind of like Morse code, the player could relay to the computer everything it needed to know in order to make a decision in a blackjack game: which cards had already been dealt, what cards the player held, and the dealer's upcard.
This computer communicated its decisions to the player with buzzes and taps on the sole of the player's foot. It was not easy to use one of these devices. It essentially entailed learning to "type" with your big toes. Even once you had memorized the codes, inputting them via the toe switches was a chore. It took weeks or even months of practice to get to the point where you could use the device at casino-dealing speed without foot cramps stopping you.
Monday, June 30, 2008
UEFA EURO 2008™ in quotes
UEFA President Michel Platini hails the standard of football at UEFA EURO 2008™
GROUP STAGE
GROUP A
We are always emotional, we cannot change that. Even if we wanted to, we don't want to. There are coaches who stay in the dugout and those like me who are more active.
Croatia coach Slaven Bilić on his side's passionate style
To put two central strikers in a team whose biggest problems are on the wings, you'd have to play with 13 players.
Czech Republic coach Karel Brückner explains why Jan Koller and Milan Baroš were not fielded together
I simply cannot put up with this 'playing well and losing' thing any more. We lost. We are not here to play well ... but to win. We were criticised in friendlies, which we could not understand, and now we have lost and there's praise. Of course, I am having difficulties with that.
Switzerland vice-captain Ludovic Magnin on his team's early exit
There can't be great victories without painful defeats.
Coach Brückner after a 3-2 loss to Turkey cost the Czechs a quarter-final place
It wouldn't have mattered if we'd lost 2-0 or 4-0, so we had to go for it. Even when everyone else was settling for penalties after we pulled level, I was signalling for the team to try for a third goal.
Turkey trainer Fatih Terim on the flip side of that decisive fixture
GROUP B
When I worked with Trinidad & Tobago at the last World Cup I woke up every morning to the sound of Bob Marley, now I wake up every day suffering from a headache!
Poland coach Leo Beenhakker gets to grips with a growing injury list
Every evening we sit together and just talk about football. Sometimes I wish we could talk about other things as well.
Germany goalkeeping coach Andreas Köpke feeling the strain
We will carry out our usual preparations, just like for the qualifying matches. We won't be doing different things just because we are at the EURO – it's not like we will walk around the park naked or something. We have our normal programme and then we will go [singing] 'tra-la-la' to the stadium. We will play 'tra-la-la' but I don't know if we will still be 'tra-la-la' after the game.
Dutchman Beenhakker on Poland's routine between matches
There were times where they were ready to prepare a camel for me in front of the stadium so I could ride into the desert. In autumn 2007 I had support from three per cent of the population. Is three and a half now good enough for me to continue?
Austria coach Josef Hickersberger after his side's brave exit
GROUP C
They say that if it rains, the earth gets wet and that brings luck. I hope it will bring us luck too.
Former international Ioan Lupescu on the rain at Romania's St Gallen training camp
With all those people being here, I think I will have to phone home to check if anything is still there.
Netherlands coach Marco van Basten ponders the huge number of Oranje fans in Switzerland
Everyone is still talking about that goal in the 1988 final – I think it was a bit lucky.
Rafael van der Vaart dismisses coach Van Basten's goal in the 1988 UEFA European Championship final
I am not going to answer questions about Italy. So if that's what you want, forget it. Now you have time to get a coffee.
France coach Raymond Domenech bars all talk of the Group C decider against Italy
He said he didn't feel right because of a problem with his best friend, so I offered my condolences but he was talking about the ball.
Germany's Miroslav Klose reveals details of a conversation with his FC Bayern München team-mate, Italy's Luca Toni
This squad has always had a very special bond, win, lose or draw. It was there against France, against Romania, and also in the loss to the Netherlands. I'm not just saying that because we qualified, but because that's what our dressing room is like.
Boss Roberto Donadoni on Italy's progress to the last eight with a 2-0 win against Les Bleus
I don't have anything to say to the people who want me to resign. But I would like to ask Estelle for her hand [in marriage]. The only thing I'm thinking about from now is marrying Estelle, which is why I'm asking her for her hand today. I know it's difficult at this moment but it's during these difficult times that you need people – and personally I need her.
Domenech proposes to longtime partner Estelle Denis moments after France's fatal defeat by Italy
GROUP D
Luis is a [Club] Atlético [de Madrid] legend, a great footballer and a wonderful man. The human condition requires you to be greedy – always hungry to better yourself and achieve more. That's what Luis is and it's the perfect petrol for the engine of a football coach.
Miguel Reina, Pepe Reina's father, on former colleague Luis Aragonés
We will not play like the Poles, whose defenders suddenly decided to grant the Germans 30 metres of space to allow them to score. That was a modern offside trap but also a modern way to lose 2-0.
Greece coach Otto Rehhagel before his side's 2-0 reverse against Sweden
A miracle only happens every 30 years. If that wasn't the case then there wouldn't be any miracles.
Rehhagel after the holders bowed out early
After [the 4-1 opening defeat by] Spain, the team were unfairly hung out to dry by the media and the pundits – it was very unpleasant to listen to all the negatives. But we wanted to prove that we have character, that we have a team and that we can play football.
Roman Pavlyuchenko sows the seeds of Russia's recovery
I'm disappointed we didn't get our game going. Maybe there is a mental factor involved, in that we're not a team that steps up from the very beginning. We lost. It's not a common occurrence but I have a bitter feeling about it.
Coach Lars Lagerbäck on the loss to Russia that sent Sweden home
QUARTER-FINALS
PORTUGAL 2-3 GERMANY
First she told me not to do anything stupid again, which I did not do [against Portugal]. Then she said I should play the same way I did two years ago. What can you do? If the chancellor asks you to do something, you have to obey!
Bastian Schweinsteiger explains what happened when he sat beside German Chancellor Angela Merkel when suspended for Germany's final group match
I think with what we've done, expectations have become higher. Because of the way we played and especially the manner in which we won the first two games, the fans got excited by this and expected more, and I understand that.
Winger Nani on the disappointment of Portugal's premature departure
I lost a bottle of wine in a bet with [assistant coach] Hans-Dieter Flick today. I said we wouldn't score from open play. Oh, two bottles of wine ...
Germany coach Joachim Löw drinks in the success over Portugal
CROATIA 1-1 TURKEY (TURKEY WIN 3-1 ON PENALTIES)
Einstein said: 'There are two ways to live – one is to believe everything is a miracle and live your life that way, the second is to believe nothing is a miracle.' I belong to the second group.
Terim on Turkey's never-say-die spirit
I can understand why they call us 'Crazy Turks'.
Emre Aşık reflects on another drama-filled Turkey win, referring to a popular history book
The last two minutes are something I can't describe – they'll haunt me for the rest of my life.
Coach Bilić reflects on a painful evening for Croatia
NETHERLANDS 1-3 RUSSIA
There are some points of criticism. We committed too many fouls and were too passive in our reaction to their free-kicks.
Guus Hiddink nit-picks after a famous victory
I think they had a coach who knew us better than we did.
Full-back Mario Melchiot considers the Dutch undoing by Russia
They are between 22 and 26 years old, not at their peak, but not young – they are somewhere in the middle. They have the opportunity and now the question is: can they take it to the next level?
Johan Cruyff assesses the future of the Oranje
SPAIN 0-0 ITALY (SPAIN WIN 4-2 ON PENALTIES)
We go out with heads held high, but it's a painful defeat. We all gave our best and we all know it was not enough. We're very sorry for ourselves and for our fans. Spain enjoyed most of the possession but we had better chances to score. The draw was a fair result, then on penalties sometimes you celebrate and sometimes you cry.
Daniele De Rossi comes to terms with the Azzurri's demise
We have struggled to get past the quarter-finals before but now we've done it so let's see if we can get to the final. I'm not depressed when I lose, I'm not euphoric when I win. I'm happy for my country, happy for my players and also for me – this is my job.
Luis Aragonés on Spain's success
SEMI-FINALS
GERMANY 3-2 TURKEY
I really must say: I often had to catch my breath out there.
Angela Merkel after the dramatic triumph against Turkey
Today we beat the Turks at their own game.
Christoph Metzelder after a late Germany goal denied the comeback kings
The players should not feel bad. Yes, they lost, of course we are out, but it was our 47th day together and it is not easy to work when everyone else is on holiday. They have been here to serve their country and I told them I was proud of them, that what they did is important, and I wished them every success in the future.
Terim shows pride in his players
RUSSIA 0-3 SPAIN
I don't like this new colour, personally. But so long as I don't have to wear it, the players can. Anyway, it's not yellow, it's mustard.
Aragonés on Spain having to change from red to yellow for the semi-final
The bronze medals we were shown in the locker room are the limit for us. Today we could not have hoped for more. We were outplayed.
Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev reflects on a one-sided game
I like teams who focus on attacking and who enjoy playing. This Spain team is very experienced and love to play this type of football.
Hiddink admits his admiration for Russia's nemesis
FINAL
GERMANY 0-1 SPAIN
It is a great feeling, we cannot believe what we have achieved. You watch these European competitions on TV and you want to be a part of it – and we were.
Fernando Torres after scoring the only goal in the final
We have had a great tournament and we have been the best team by a distance in all our games. There hasn't been one game where we won because we were lucky – we have won by being the better team every time.
David Villa has the secret of Spain's success
I had a quick word with every one of my players. I told them not to feel down. Yes, we lost the final and that's a disappointment for us all, but the fact we made it to the final is an achievement in itself.
Löw smiles through Germany's gallant defeat
We'll remember it for the rest of our lives – the fields, the mountains and that part of Austria. We received a very warm welcome in that little village, as did our families. It's been a different way of preparing. We were very happy, all the locals were with us, and part of us doing well could be the fact we stayed there.
Iker Casillas revisits Spain's base in Neustift, Austria
Many people will look at this Spain team because it has been a model for playing football. I think all football lovers want people to make good combinations, to get into the penalty area and to score goals. At the beginning I said that if we managed this squad well, we would be champions. The team just thought I was trying to give them confidence. I just hope Spain carry on in this way and have many more victories.
Aragonés has the last word
The A-Z of UEFA EURO 2008™
Arshavin – Without him Russia were struggling; with him they became world-beaters. Suspended for the first two games the man known as 'Shava' burst into their third game like a terrier let off its leash. Unknown even to the likes of Xavi Hernández before the tournament, everybody knows him now.
Bob Marley – Not an obvious reggae aficionado, Leo Beenhakker summed up the mood in the Poland camp when he said: "When I worked with Trinidad and Tobago during the last World Cup I woke up every morning to the sound of Bob Marley but now I wake up every day suffering from a headache!"
Co-hosts – Austria and Switzerland may have bowed out after the group stage, but neither that nor the inclement weather could dampen the mood at the eight venues and beyond. Indeed, by the end of the tournament, some four million people had visited the UEFA EURO 2008™ Fan Zones.
Drama – Turkey were a watchword for late excitement throughout as they mounted comeback after comeback before Philipp Lahm's goal finally ended their challenge. But Fatih Terim's side did not have a monopoly on being fashionably late and of the 77 goals scored during the finals, 18 came in the final five minutes.
Efficiency – Germany had three shots on goal in their 3-2 semi-final win against Turkey and scored with all of them. Had their opponents done likewise, Terim's men would have run out 11-3 victors.
Feel the Rush – Enrique Iglesias's Can You Hear Me? may have been the official tournament song, but the mascots' music, Feel the Rush by Shaggy, perhaps induced the most fervent foot-tapping. Just.
Golden Generation – Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Romania. Most teams have had one period when an exceptionally gifted group of players came to the fore – but two? In the mid-1990s Portugal were bristling with talent and while the UEFA EURO 2000™ semi-finals was the best they could manage, a new generation spearheaded by Cristiano Ronaldo has raised Lusophiles' expectations once more.
Hat-trick – David Villa's treble against Russia in Spain's opening game made him only the seventh player in finals history to score three in a game. Villa was following in the footsteps of Patrick Kluivert, Sérgio Conceição, Marco van Basten, Michel Platini (twice), Klaus Allofs and Dieter Müller.
Injuries – Save for injuries to Franck Ribéry, Alexander Frei and half of the Turkey squad, there were thankfully few serious problems at the EURO. Before the finals was different. Daniel Pudil was ruled out when he broke his hand as he celebrated SK Slavia Praha's league triumph, while Romania's Ovidiu Petre was forced to withdraw after colliding with a cameraman while playing volleyball.
Juan Carlos – Having witnessed Spain's quarter-final victory against Italy, the king was asked if he felt his side were favourites for the semi-final. "Yes," he replied, "50-50."
Klasnić – Not many people are up and running within 15 months of undergoing two kidney transplants. Still less are playing football. None, before Ivan Klasnić have capped their recovery with a goal at a UEFA European Championship.
Lifeguard – Those who believed the only thing Semih Şentürk had in common with David Hasselhoff was his red shorts were forced to think again in Austria and Switzerland. Not content with the goal that revived Turkey's hopes in the group stage, Semih reprised his 'lifeguard' role with the 122nd-minute equaliser against Croatia. He almost did it again in the semi-finals only for Philipp Lahm to drown out Turkish celebrations.
Mascots – Four years ago a mascot called Kinas caught the eye with his halfway-line acrobatics. This time around there were two of them, they had bigger hair and their dance routines were rehearsed. Trix and Flix have laid down a sizeable gauntlet for the 2012 mascots.
Nihat Kahveci – With three minutes of their decisive group game against the Czech Republic left, Turkey were heading out. Then Nihat capitalised on Petr Čech's fumble to apparently set up extra time. Yet the No8 had other ideas and hit an unstoppable winner with a minute to go.
Oranje – The Netherlands won a place in Bernese hearts during the tournament, but then they did not really have a choice. Over 100,000 Oranje fans descended on the Swiss federal capital to watch the Netherlands-France game and help double Berne's population.
Portuguese arrival – When Luiz Felipe Scolari's squad arrived on 1 June they received a memorable welcome. A motorcade of 600 Portuguese living in Switzerland followed the team bus to their training base, while others lined the streets waving flags. Another 10,000 fans were waiting to greet the players in Neuchatel.
Quarter-finals – Spain's first competitive win against Italy in 88 years; Germany prevailing in a five-goal thriller; Arshavin helping Russia stun the Netherlands; and that Croatia-Turkey game. Astonishing.
Reina Snr – Pepe's dad Manuel certainly won the award for the finals' best automotive metaphor as he ran the rule over Luis Aragonés. "The human condition requires you to be greedy – always hungry to better yourself and achieve more," he said. "That's what Luis is and it's the perfect petrol for the engine of a football coach. He'll never say, 'This success is enough' or 'I've lost my drive'."
Schweinsteiginho – Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger scored, made an assist and picked up yellow and red cards at UEFA EURO 2008™. The only other player to have achieved this feat at a EURO is Denmark's Klaus Berggreen in 1984. Schweinsteiger ended the tournament strongly, however. Why? Because Angela Merkel told him to. "If the chancellor asks you to do something, you have to obey," he explained.
Thunder – June was the wettest month many could remember in Austria and Switzerland, forcing organisers to relay the St. Jakob-Park pitch in Basel ahead of the quarter-finals. It was arguably worse in Vienna, however, and the game between Spain and Russia was played to a background more akin to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein than a football match.
Underachievers – At UEFA EURO 2004™ a hotly-tipped France side meekly bowed out with a 1-0 quarter-final defeat by Greece. This year an ageing squad failed to get out of the group stage, registering a solitary point as they finished at the foot of their section.
Vastic – At 38 years and 257 days, Ivica Vastic became the oldest player to score in a UEFA European Championship when he converted a late penalty against Poland. The 35-year-old pair of Jan Koller and Christian Panucci also struck to go second and third on the list.
Walk in the park – Beenhakker again, this time on the eve of Poland's opener against Germany, saying: "We won't be doing different things just because we are at the EUROs now. It's not like we will walk around the park naked or something. We have our normal programme – and then we will go [singing] tra-la-la to the stadium. We will play 'tra-la-la' but I don't know if we will be still 'tra-la-la' after the game."
X-factor – That something, lamented Croatia coach Slaven Bilić, which Turkey possessed in spades.
Yellow or mustard? – The great debate about the colour of Spain's away jersey was decided, once and for all, by Aragonés. "I don't like this new colour, personally," he said. "But so long as I don't have to wear it, the players can. Anyway, it's not yellow, it's mustard."
Zidane – UEFA EURO 2008™ was the first major tournament since 1994 without modern-day legend Zinédine Zidane. Yet there were individual performances which lit up the finals in his absence – Arshavin for starters
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