Issue #20 | 11.14.25
Drink
One Cocktail To Know
The Carajillo: The Adult Version of Vodka Red Bull
Forget the college energy drink combo. This is how grown men caffeinate at night.
The Carajillo is Mexico's answer to staying sharp while staying social—classier, tastier, and infinitely better than anything mixed with Red Bull. Two ingredients. Zero regrets.
Espresso meets Licor 43, a Spanish liqueur loaded with vanilla, citrus, and 43 secret ingredients that turn this into liquid sophistication. It's bold, smooth, and hits exactly right whether you're rallying before heading out or keeping the night alive.
How to make it:
2 oz strong coffee or espresso
2 oz Licor 43
Ice
Shake it hard in a shaker for a minute until it's icy and frothy. Pour into a rocks glass. Perfect after dinner or weekend brunch. This is what separating the boys from the men tastes like.
Not the cocktail they expect. The one they remember.
Intel
Truth or B.S.?
Rock, Paper, Scissors is Completely Random
B.S. Your brain is terrible at rock, paper, scissors - here’s why:
The winning strategy for rock, paper, scissors is simple: be completely random. Ignore what happened last round.
Your brain can't do it.
Researchers recorded brain activity during 15,000 games of rock, paper, scissors. The findings, published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, are brutal: players who relied on previous rounds lost more often.
Most players had clear biases—over half favored "rock." They also avoided repeating choices, thinking they were being clever. They weren't.
Brain scans revealed something worse: losers' brains tracked what happened in previous rounds. Winners' brains didn't.
The takeaway? Your brain isn't a computer. It's wired to predict patterns based on history—useful for cooperation, disastrous for competition.
Stop over-analyzing what came before. The person who quits trying to outsmart the pattern wins.
The Internet is full of noise. Here’s the Signal
House Rules
The Monthly Gamble
What “The House Always Wins” Really Means - And How to Play Smarter
Let’s get one thing straight: the house doesn’t win because it’s lucky. It wins because it’s built to. Legally. Mathematically. Every time.
Every casino game carries a built-in advantage — the house edge. It’s not a conspiracy; it’s math. That edge guarantees the casino profits over time, no matter who walks away ahead tonight.
The Numbers:
Roulette (American): ~5.26% edge. (European roulette cuts it to 2.7%.)
Slots: 2–15%, depending on the machine. Penny slots are worst; higher-denomination machines are fairer.
Blackjack: 0.5% if you play perfectly, 2–3% for most players (and higher if the table pays 6:5).
Craps: Pass line bets come in under 1.4%. Add odds bets and you’re down near zero — one of the best plays in the casino.
Here’s the truth: over enough bets, you lose. The math doesn’t care about your hot streak, your “system,” or how lucky you feel.
How to Play Smart:
Pick games with the lowest edge. Blackjack (with basic strategy), craps (pass line + odds), and baccarat (banker bet) give you the best odds.
Set your limit before you start. Chase losses and you’re playing their game.
Know when to walk. Up 20%? Pocket it. Down to your limit? You’re done.
You don’t have to skip the casino — just understand the math, respect the edge, and never confuse entertainment with income.
The Mettle Take: The house doesn’t cheat; it prepares. So should you.
Betting or not, know the game.
News
The Feed
This Week’s Sharp Clicks
Costco just recalled 1 million bottles of Prosecco - here’s why.
TikTok's at it again: raw chicken is now trending. Apparently we learned nothing from 2022's Nyquil Chicken debacle
More Costco drama as they face a class action lawsuit over their popular Kirkland Tequila.
Don’t call it a comeback! After closing 600 locations, this Steakhouse is about to make a comeback.
Men’s Health Tips for Shredding the Dad Bod
Stay Sharp,
The Mettle Team
