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What can games of skill and chance, of risk and reward \u2013 like Poker and Backgammon\u2013 teach diplomats, policymakers, and interested participants about how to Order the Disorder?\xa0\n\xa0\nIn this episode, Jason Pack is joined by the former #1 Giant of Backgammon, Wilcox Snellings. In the 1990s, he was considered by his peers to be the best player in the world. The duo discuss: Wilcox\u2019s upbringing, New York\u2019s gambling culture, the milieu of high stakes gambling and its myriad lessons for confronting disorder with probabilistic calculations.\xa0\n\xa0\nThe duo explore how concepts of expected value and game theory, which underpin modern economics, derive from gambling. They also explore the concepts popularized by Nate Silver in his new book 'On the Edge', which focuses on the dichotomy between \u2018the River\u2019 (i.e. the community of risk takers) and \u2018the village\u2019 (i.e. the community of PC, play-it-safe, left-leaning establishment elites). Wilcox and Jason explore how today\u2019s crop of political leaders often fail to utilize the principles of risk vs reward calculations and fail to grasp inherent causal connections when making decisions. In the Ordering the Disorder section, Wilcox and Jason link the failure of left and centrist politicians in tackling the challenges of campaign finance, taxation equity, and income inequality to their risk averseness.\xa0\xa0\n\xa0\nIf you enjoyed this episode and want to hear its partner episode with Sander Lylloff the 2022 World Champion of Backgammon Subscribe to our Substack: https://natoandtheged.substack.com/\xa0\xa0\n\xa0\nNext week that special bonus episode will drop only on the Substack.\xa0\n\xa0\nProducer: George McDonagh\xa0\nExec Producer: Neil Fearn\xa0\n\xa0\nShow Notes Links\xa0\n\xa0\nListen to the World\u2019s current number 1 Giant of Backgammon Mochy talking to Jason\u2019s friend Etan Ilfeld: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-etan-ilfeld-podcast/id1500914118?i=1000671570803\xa0\xa0\n\xa0\nVenture into online backgammon and amongst the stars on Backgammon Galaxy: https://www.backgammongalaxy.com/\xa0\xa0\n\xa0\nFor another more personal interview about Wilcox\u2019s life: https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=Wilcox+Snellings&mid=801C99A1E7F69963E00A801C99A1E7F69963E00A&FORM=VIRE\xa0\xa0\n\xa0\n\xa0\nRead more about Nate Silver\u2019s book https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/09/09/on-the-edge-the-art-of-risking-everything-nate-silver-book-review\xa0\n\xa0\nAnd a fairly cogent critique of Silver\u2019s book:\xa0\xa0\nhttps://foreignpolicy.com/2024/09/20/on-the-edge-book-review-nate-silver-risk/\xa0\xa0\n\xa0\nRead Jason\u2019s article written in Dubai three years ago about Backgammon, peace making, and the Abraham Accords: https://www.mei.edu/publications/personal-vantage-point-gamble-abraham-accords-dubais-first-international-backgammon\xa0\xa0\n\xa0\nWatch Jason Play a commentated tournament backgammon live from Dubai starting at 3:51:00 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzDxx1yG78o\xa0\xa0\n\xa0\nListen to current world number 1, Mochy on Backgammon and Life on the Etan Ilfeld Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-etan-ilfeld-podcast/id1500914118?i=1000671570803\xa0\xa0\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices