Optimal strategy for gambling given the probability of winning each round

expected valueprobability

Imagine a gambler having x dollars to start with.
Each round the gambler has a chance of winning equal to p that is itself randomly chosen from [0, 1]. If he wins he gets twice the money he put in (meaning he doubles the money every time he puts all the money in and wins). And gets nothing if he loses.

Gambler can choose the amount of money he puts in the game ranging from 0 to x knowing p (probability that he can win this round).

Now, what is the optimal strategy to maximize outcome in 100 rounds?

If you put all the money in a round that has a win probability higher than a half and loose then outcome goes to 0 and at the same time it has the most outcome?

Best Answer

If you are trying to maximize expected value, you should bet all your money on each round where $p \gt \frac 12$. This is discussed in this question. Many people are hypnotized by the fact that one loss means you finish with $0$, but it is compensated for by the enormous gain when you win them all. If you want to maximize something besides expected value you need to define that.

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