document.write( "Question 1110074: Supposed a certain game is fair and costs $8 if you lose and has a net payoff of $4 if you win. The only possible outcomes of the game are winning and losing.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "What is the probability of winning?
\n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #725089 by greenestamps(13200)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


\n" ); document.write( "A fair game means you break even after several games. Just looking at the numbers, it takes 2 wins at $4 each to balance 1 loss at -$8. So you need to win 2 out of every 3 games to break even. That makes the probability of winning 2/3.

\n" ); document.write( "Formally, you want the expected value of a game to be 0. If the probability of winning is x, then the probability of losing is (1-x); for the expected value to be 0, we need to have
\n" ); document.write( "\"4%28x%29%2B%28-8%29%281-x%29+=+0\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"4x-8%2B8x+=+0\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"12x-8+=+0\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"12x+=+8\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+2%2F3\"
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" );