the.com/longshot
the bet everyone else laughed off, right up until it cashed.
means A venture, guess, or bet with little chance of success but a big payoff if it somehow works.
from Born from gunnery and archery: a shot fired at long range was far less likely to hit its mark, so a 'long shot' came to mean any attempt with slim odds. The figurative betting sense — wagering on the outsider who probably won't win — grew up alongside it, and by the 19th century 'long shot' was firmly the gambler's word for the unlikely horse.
- horse racing
- Term comes from cannons firing accurately only at close range.
- payout math
- Higher odds mean lower chance but fatter reward.
- movie title
- A 2019 Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen romcom.
- psychology
- Humans overbet longshots, chasing improbable jackpots emotionally.
leicester city 2015-16 — won the premier league at 5000-1 odds, the greatest upset in sports history
apollo 13 — crippled spacecraft returned safely in 1970 against near-impossible odds
jesse owens 1936 — black american sprinter won 4 gold medals in nazi berlin when few expected him to compete