percentage

play the percentage game

To make a decision or choose an action thought to have the likeliest chance of success based on data or past experience. I decided to play the percentage game and put in a right-handed pinch-hitter against the left-handed pitcher. It just seems like their business plan is simply playing the percentage game, lacking any real passion or intuition behind what they're selling.
See also: game, percentage, play

play the percentages

To make a decision or choose an action thought to have the likeliest chance of success based on data or past experience. I decided to play the percentages and put in a right-handed pinch-hitter against the left-handed pitcher. It just seems like their business plan is simply playing the percentages, lacking any real passion or intuition behind what they're selling.
See also: percentage, play
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

play the percentages (or the percentage game)

choose a safe and methodical course of action when calculating the odds in favour of success. informal
See also: percentage, play
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • play the percentage game
  • play the percentages
  • choose
  • decide
  • decide against
  • decide against (someone or something)
  • decided
  • choose from
  • choose from (people or things)
  • choose between two people or things
References in periodicals archive
The fourth most popular party in August was the National Alliance with 7.2 percent support (up 0.9 percentage points from July), followed by the New Conservative Party with 6.3 percent support (up 1.3 percentage points).
The OECD unemployment rate for youth (people aged 15 to 24) declined by 0.1 percentage point in November, to 11.0 per cent, back to its July level.
Monmouth CountyCredit card debt: $4,676Credit card debt as percentage of income: 10.5%Credit card debt as percentage of wealth: 5.5%
In particular, the percentage of Filipinos who are absolutely opposed to charter change, such as those against charter change now not at any other time, increased by 17 percentage points, with similar movements occurring in Metro Manila (+17 percentage points), the rest of Luzon (+27 percentage points), Mindanao (+14 percentage points), Class D (+19 percentage points), and Class E (+16 percentage points).
CARLOS CARVALHAL Appointed by Swansea City on December 28, 2017 P15; W8; D5; L2 Win percentage: 53.3%
Favorable sentiment about personal finances rose two percentage points in the region, with Thailand showing the most improvement in confidence with seven percentage points to 65 percent while optimism rose five percentage points to 86 percent for the Philippines and up two percentage points for Vietnam to 65 percent.
In Oklahoma City, for example, the percentage of people who were classified as obese increased to 32 percent in 2012, from 22 percent just 10 years earlier.
Amongst all the five groups in the Intermediate examination, the highest overall percentage was observed in the pre-medical group.
33 Given a spare hour every week, percentage of Canadians who say they would spend more quality time with family and friends, according to a study conducted on behalf of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada.
Unchanging percentage of the elderly in Palestine during the coming years The Palestinian society is considered a young society where the percentage of youth is about half of the society and the percentage of the elderly is relatively small.
It declined by 0.14 percentage points on July 2012, while it increased by 0.01 percentage points compared to June 2013.
A percentage (%) is a single value given to express a fraction or decimal.
Shoaib Dastagir informed the CCPO, Lahore that Investigation Wing of Lahore Police, during current year upto May in a special campaign against criminals, registered 217 cases of murder and 89 were challaned and the percentage of submission of challan remained 41 percent, upto June, this year, 264 cases were registered and 136 were challaned and the percentage of submission of challan remained 52 percent, upto July, this year, 315 cases were registered and 190 were challaned and the percentage of submission of challans remained 60 percent.
Extending its Thursday's gains, sensex rose by 311.01 points to 15,698.07 points in early trade with all the sectoral indices gaining up to 2.47 percentage. The BSE barometer had gained 1.41 percentage in the previous session.