Arc, let me take your comments one at a time:

You are saying that expected return is only a prediction of sorts, okay, good. We're in agreement. There is a range of possible results. When you sit down at a 99.5% return game it doesn't mean you are going to finish with a 99.5% return. In fact, it's another reason to embrace win goals because we all know we don't know what will happen. No one ever went broke quitting when ahead. (I am paraphrasing my father who said "no one ever went broke selling a stock at a profit.")

Then, Arc, you say win goals "provide no protection. That is an illusion." Oh, come on Arc! Everybody knows that a loss limit keeps you from losing it all. And I will concede there is debate about whether or not to quit when you reach a win goal or to adjust your win goal higher with stop loss limits that are increased.

Then you say that "goals only provide you with the illusion of control." Well Arc, your pay tables are an illusion as well. Next time you're in a casino ask some other players how many royals they had in their life. I have met many, many players who never had a royal. Without a royal, you can't have a theoretical positive game, can you?