play the odds
Bet on probability
To play the odds is to make decisions based on probability rather than certainty, accepting some risk in favor of the most likely outcome.
A gambler plays the odds by betting on what statistics suggest will happen.
More broadly, anyone calculating chances plays the odds: I didn't bring an umbrella—just playing the odds with the forecast.
- bettingStaking money on outcomes
- likelihoodChance something will occur
- wageringRisking money on outcomes
- stochasticRandomly determined, statistically describable
- gambler's fallacyAssuming randomness self-corrects
probability · poker · variance · bluffing · forecasting · long shot · risk assessment · hedge your bets · prediction · statistics · game theory · trade-off · chance · roulette · beat the house · blackjack · lottery · ante up
- gambling lingoall in, ante up, raise the stakes, go all in, high roller
- risk phrasestake a chance, take a gamble, risk it all, go for broke, roll the dice
- strategystrategy, grand strategy, tactics, tactic, tactical
play the oddsthrow caution to the wind
Act recklessly, disregarding consequences
follow your heart · fly blind · wing it · shoot from the hip
play, plays, played, playing, player, players, playful, playfully, playfulness