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What is the average time needed to play entire Tongo game? I understand that, due to its nature, one can play a real quick deal and another a really long one. That's why I'm asking about average time.

How it is possible that Quark managed to win 207 Tongo games in a row during a single month?

O'BRIEN: I don't know about that. Quark's on a roll. In the last month, he's won two hundred and six straight games.

DS9: Change of Heart

207 divided to 30 gives 7. Taking average time of one hour (quite hard to believe) Quark wouldn't be doing anything during that entire month except for playing Tongo (even harder to believe).

What am I missing? Where did I make a mistake in my calculations?

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    Ferengi always struck me as being impulsive. I can see how if Quark can delegate his work responsibilities (he is the boss after all) and just spend an entire day playing he would. He gets a winning streak, inherent greed takes over. Plus do we really know a month on DS9 is 30 days? Maybe 28, maybe 35?
    – erdiede
    Commented Sep 18, 2016 at 14:02
  • Mean, median or mode?
    – Paul D. Waite
    Commented Sep 18, 2016 at 14:30
  • @erdiede Sounds like a good explanation. A bit own-perspective and speculation-like, but I don't think, we're going to find a better / cannon answer. Unless someone has a source to explain how long regular Tongo game can last (maybe just 15 minutes?).
    – trejder
    Commented Sep 19, 2016 at 12:11
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    DS9 was on a Bajoran day (26 Bajoran hours/~25¾ Earth hours). It only makes sense that DS9 was also on a Bajoran yearly calendar. According to this well researched but (AFAIK) non-canon source, a typical Bajoran month is between 54 and 59 Bajoran days.
    – user62584
    Commented Sep 1, 2019 at 21:20
  • 1
    @Valorum - ... or the doctor translated the pregnancy term to Earth months for Miles and Kako's benefit.
    – user62584
    Commented Sep 1, 2019 at 21:34

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In the same episode, we see Julian buying into an after-hours game. He only has limited funds and he's going to be kicked out if he doesn't start winning big money, really quickly. Although Quark is usually happy to extend credit, a game evidently only lasts as long as there isn't a clear winner, typified by all the other players losing their money.

By that logic, a "game" might only last a very short time since Julian goes from having about half the funds on the table to totally crapped out in a single hand lasting about five minutes.

In order to win 200+ games in a month, Quark might only be playing for a few hours each day, with each game lasting (say) 20-30 mins before everyone's out of cash. A 6-games-a-day tongo habit could equate to less than 2-3 hours per day.

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