[Math] Geometric Distribution and roulette wheel question

probability

Suppose that your bank roll is \$75.00 and your goal is to win \$5. Your strategy is to spin the roulette wheel and wager \$5 on black (18 red numbers, 18 black numbers, and 2 green house numbers). If you lose, you will double your wager until you eventually win \$5 or are out of money. Find the probability that you lose your \$75 bankroll.

This is a geometric distribution so the probability distribution is:

$\Pr(X=x)=(18/38)(20/38)^x \text{ for } x=0,1,2, \cdots$ where

$X=$ number of rolls until you a win.

So I thought you evaluate the probability until the wager > 75 which in table below is x=4.

$$
\begin{array}{c|lcr}
x & \text{Pr(X)} & \text{Wager}\\
\hline
0 & (18/38)(20/38)^0 & 5\\
1 & (18/38)(20/38)^1 & 10\\
2 & (18/38)(20/38)^2 & 20\\
3 & (18/38)(20/38)^3 & 40\\
4 & (18/38)(20/38)^4 & 80\\
\end{array}
$$

The probability of a win after 4 losses is: $\Pr(X=4)=(18/38)(20/38)^4.$

I thought the probability of a loss is just: $1-(18/38)(20/38)^4$, but the solution is just $(20/38)^4$. Can someone explain why its just $(18/38)(20/38)^4$ and not $1-(18/38)(20/38)^4$? Thanks.

Best Answer

You lose precisely if the wheel goes against you $4$ times. You will have bet $5$, $10$, $20$, $40$, and your money is all gone.

Remark: We do not have a geometric random variable, since if $X$ has geometric distribution then $X$ can take on all positive integer values. The random variable $X$ here is our total winnings, which are $5$ if W, LW, LLW, or LLLW, and $-75$ otherwise.