Ask Marilyn

When a friend and I were in Las Vegas, I said that gamblers make a strategic mistake when they set a loss limit and quit when they hit it because they leave at their low point of the day. I think it’s better to stop after you’ve had a run of good cards. My friend thinks the long-term results will be the same no matter when you stop. Who is correct? —Tyler Beck, Vadnais Heights, Minn. I think your friend is closer to the truth, but not quite there. The odds are in favor of the gambling house, and over the long haul, one result will be the same: The gambler will lose, regardless of when he or she stops. But a gambler can lower the dollar amount of the loss by setting a daily limit. If you wait longer to quit, you’ll just expose more dollars to the odds and lose more in the end.