Explaining positive expectation to Mom.

[Enon]

Yeah, so even after a year of player poker and showing myself to be a consistent winner at my live 10/20 game and 15/30 online, my mom is still bringing up the fact that I 'might lose everything' or that I should 'quit while I'm ahead'.

I've tried explaining positive expectation and how I can expect to make money if I play in games where I am better than most players. She kinda understands but still doesn't 'believe' it.

This is aggravating me to no end and I was wondering if there is any article out there that lays out E.V. in a manner suitable for my mom (an english teacher who fears math).

Thanks.

[daryn]

she will never understand. just give up trying to explain it.

[Ed Miller]

You can try relating it to more "respectable" gambling endeavors like investing in the stock market and buying real estate.

[JimSardonic]

http://fullcontactpoker.com/cparticles_archives.php?id=00009

This may or may not be helpful... who knows -- just as it is in poker, I guess this is "situational".

[DeadRed]

Get away from most of the math by putting this into a "real world" situation. Tell her that the family is planning a camping trip (which is fun, +EV), but there is some chance of rain (going camping and getting rained on, -EV). If the chance of rain is 0%, you go camping, if it is 100%, you don't. But what if the chance is 50%? Does she take a risk and go? If not, what about 20%? Find the point at which she changes her answer and explain that this is 0 EV. Tell her you play poker because even though it will rain sometimes, you live on the sunny side of the street.