Final answer:
Nicole can expect to gain money in the long run with this game of chance, averaging a win of 80 cents per draw due to a positive expected value from the mix of odd and even card outcomes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Nicole has a deck of 10 cards numbered 1 through 10. She is playing a game of chance where drawing an odd-numbered card yields money equal to the card's value, whereas drawing an even-numbered card results in a loss of $3.40.
First, let's calculate the expected value of playing the game. There are five odd-numbered cards (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) and five even-numbered cards (2, 4, 6, 8, 10).
The probability of drawing an odd card is 5/10 or 1/2, and the probability of drawing an even card is also 1/2. The expected win/loss for each event is calculated:
- For odd cards: (1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9)/5 = 5
- For even cards: -$3.40
Expected value = (1/2) * 5 + (1/2) * (-$3.40)
Expected value = $0.80
From this calculation, we conclude that in the long run, after playing the game many times, Nicole can expect to gain money. Specifically, she can expect to win 80 cents per draw on average. This is because the positive expected value indicates an excess of winning over losing.