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Is the probability of this event: $$\frac{{4\choose 3}\cdot4\cdot4}{52\choose 5}$$

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    Yes, correct, and it is obvious where the numerator comes from. You might be expected to write a few words.2011-09-26

1 Answers 1

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Yes, probability is the ratio of the number of desirable configurations over the number of total configurations, the number of total configurations is $52$ for the first card, times $51$ for the second, and so on, i.e. $\prod_{k=0}^4 (52-k)$.

The number of desired configurations $4 \times 3 \times 2$ for aces, $4$ for a king and $4$ for a queen, and then multinomial of 5 choose 3, 1, 1 which is $\frac{5!}{3! \cdot 1! \cdot 1!} =20$.

$$ p = \frac{ (4 \cdot 3 \cdot 2) \cdot 4 \cdot 4 \cdot 20 }{ 52 \cdot \ldots \cdot 48 } = \frac{20}{812175} = \frac{4}{162435}. $$

This matches your answer as well.

Added: Simulation illustrating the answer:

enter image description here

Code follows ( takes a minute to run):

quintuples = 
  Subsets[Flatten[
    Outer[List, 
     Range[2, 10]~Join~{"J", "Q", "K", "A"}, {"\[DiamondSuit]", 
      "\[ClubSuit]", "\[HeartSuit]", "\[SpadeSuit]"}], 1], {5}];

Count[quintuples, 
  x_List /; 
   Count[x, {"A", _}] == 3 && Count[x, {"K", _}] == 1 && 
    Count[x, {"Q", _}] == 1]/Length[quintuples]
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    In your calculation the order matters. First choose aces, then king, last queen. Not sure if that is what lord12 wants.2011-09-26
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    @peanodo I realized that and corrected the answer.2011-09-26
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    You are counting the possible hands differently depending on the order in which they are dealt. This is not usually the case: you want to consider the "hands", not the order in which they are dealt...2011-09-26
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    Ah, I see; your denominator "should" be divided by $5!$; and your numerator by $3!$ if you want to count combinations. But that factor that you are "missing" in the count is compensated by using the multinomial coefficient. Fair enough.2011-09-26