playing the long odds

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

an idiom derived from horse racing and gambling where long odds describe a bet with a low probability of winning but a high potential payout, used figuratively to describe pursuing a goal that most observers consider highly unlikely but which, if achieved, would yield extraordinary rewards; playing the long odds describes a strategy of persisting in the face of unfavorable probability because the potential upside is disproportionately large relative to the cost of trying; it implies a rational, if optimistic, reading of expected value — that the low probability of a high-value outcome justifies continued investment; the phrase is associated with entrepreneurship, scientific research in neglected fields, and political movements that challenge established power, where the conventional wisdom of low probability often masks the genuine possibility of transformative success