Draft Below are some math problems and questions related to Pokemon that may be interesting to use in a classroom. My kids play the Pokemon TCG and got me to play some this summer. It is a fun game with some interesting discrete combinatorics and probability problems lurking in the strategy. Since decks contain 60 cards in Pokemon, there is also an opportunity for some problem variation beyond the standard 52 card bridge deck questions seen in many lower level discrete math courses.
- Link to basics of Pokemon game rules
What is the probability of avoiding a mulligan? A mulligan occurs when you don’t have a basic Pokemon in your initial seven card hand. If this occurs you shuffle your hand back into your deck and draw seven new cards. Your opponent gets to take an additional card. A question to ask then is ‘How many basics should I include in my deck?’
$$P(\mbox{}) = 1 - \frac{\binom{60-n}{7}}{\binom{60}{7}}$$
What is the likelihood of playing a Battle VIP pass on turn one?
What are the expected values of attacks using coin flips? (sizzlepede, pikachu, etc)
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