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Later that night I would sit down at a 10 dollar table at the Bellagio next to a grumpy businessman from Guadalajara, put down 100 dollars, and proceed to lose all of my chips in approximately 25 minutes.

Whoa. I don’t know blackjack.

By memorizing the chart in the spirit of The Matrix learning paradigm, I had actually made things harder than they needed to be.

Blackjack requires “know-that” or declarative knowledge — I know that I should always split Aces and 8s. In contrast, kung-fu requires “know-how” or procedural knowledge — Keanu Reeves knows how to do a triple-kick in the air.

One of the key differences between the two is that while procedural knowledge needs to be wired in the brain, you can essentially “outsource” declarative knowledge to your computer, your hard drive, or a little blackjack card. This is a good thing, because it means that your brain can devote more energy to the important stuff (like finding the waitress and ordering another free drink).

Nick’s blog: Blackjack, The Matrix, and the outboard brain