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TINY BALLS! Nerds Do Vegas.

2012-10-30 (said on 2012-10-29 — implied: date said in the video; uploaded 1 day later) · letter vlog · John · 2:58 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Personal life (also: Economics, Nerdfighteria) · mode: Personal update · tags: on location, fundraising ask

From a Las Vegas hotel John recalls Hank's one winning bet at his bachelor party, jokes about his own three-hour, ten-dollar roulette win and love of tiny balls, and concludes gambling teaches perspective and Hank is the wiser brother.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Travel-day greeting (really Monday); John wakes 'in Paris' with Italy across the street and realises he is in Las Vegas

  • ★★ On a day he calls Tuesday but is really Monday, John wakes in a hotel 'in Paris', with Italy across the street, and realises he is in Las Vegas. (playful) — 00:00:00

00:00:20 — John's earlier Vegas trip, his 'Nerds Do Vegas' bachelor party, the opposite of The Hangover; Hank's single Casino War bet; John buys a razor

  • ★★ John has been to Las Vegas once before, for his bachelor party, which they called 'Nerds Do Vegas'; it was the exact opposite of The Hangover. (playful) — 00:00:20

    “Nerds Do Vegas”

  • ★★ John recalls that on that trip Hank gambled once: he played Casino War, placed the minimum bet, won, walked away and retired from gambling a winner. (playful) — 00:00:31 · Hank Green

  • ★★ Calling himself the naughty, more aggressive brother, John sat at the roulette table at about 11 pm (29 October 2012) with $100 and left three hours later with $110. (playful) — 00:00:46

00:00:51 — John's roulette night: $100 in, $110 out after three hours; he loves tiny balls (golf, Rube Goldberg machines, Jezzball)

  • ★★ John jokes he is an extremely good roulette player because he loves tiny balls, which is also why he loves golf, Rube Goldberg machines and Jezzball. (joke) — 00:01:01

00:01:21 — Roulette strategy: you always lose over time, so bet little and rarely and take the free Sprites

  • ★★ John's 'key' to roulette: over time you will always lose all your money, so bet as little and as rarely as possible and accept every free drink. (playful) — 00:01:23

00:01:51 — Gambling as a reminder of perspective, not probability: a successful night versus the morning after and under $4 an hour; Hank is the wiser brother

  • ★★★ For John, gambling is less a reminder of probability than a reminder of perspective. — 00:01:51
  • ★★ Walking home John felt successful (Canadian chaps, three hours of the ball, free drinks, $10 won); next morning the drinks are a headache and calories, and he earned under $4 an hour. (playful) — 00:01:56
  • ★★ John concludes that, though he is the older brother, Hank is the wiser one when it comes to gambling and much else. (playful) — 00:02:22 · Hank Green

00:02:26 — John leaves to speak to people who work at colleges; joke to high-school Nerdfighters; sign-off

  • ★ John has to go give a speech to people who work at colleges, and jokes he will tell them to accept all high-school Nerdfighters to all colleges. (playful) — 00:02:26 · Nerdfighteria

00:02:41 — P.S. from the airport: the video predates Hurricane Sandy; stay safe; bitterballen and Dippin' Dots

  • ★★ In a P.S. John says the video was recorded before Hurricane Sandy came ashore and tells Nerdfighters without power to stay safe. — 00:02:41 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★ The P.S. ends by adding bitterballen ('tiny delicious balls') and Dippin' Dots to John's tiny balls. (joke) — 00:02:52

In the description and comments

  • ★★ The description asks viewers to donate to assist those affected by Hurricane Sandy, linking the Red Cross. — video description

Humor (significant)

  • John, 'the naughty brother' and a much more aggressive gambler than Hank, sits down at the roulette table at 11 pm with $100. — 00:00:56

    “Three hours later, I left the casino with: one hundred TEN dollars.”

  • John explains that he is an extremely good roulette player because he has a passion for the game. — 00:01:08

    “because I love tiny balls.”

  • John's roulette strategy: bet as little as possible and say yes every time the cocktail waitress offers a free Sprite. — 00:01:41

    “even if you lose, you still got four Sprites for your $100.”

Threads in this video

Mentioned

Central: gambling · Las Vegas · roulette

Also: Works: JezzBall · The Hangover

Concepts: bitterballen · Casino War · golf · probability · Rube Goldberg machine

Places: Paris Las Vegas

Events: Hurricane Sandy

Products: Dippin' Dots · Sprite

Only in the description or credits: American Red Cross · Paris

Also centred on gambling: Morality

Also centred on Las Vegas: Vegas Baby...It's like...well. Hrmm

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