"Wilsons proof" Allan Wilson provided a mathematical proof of the fallacy that a progression can overcome a negative expectation.

What is common to all progressive believers is they first draw the conclusion that progressive sytems can win and then look for 'evidence' that their conclusion is right. Meanwhile ignoring all other evidence to the contary.

For a deaperlook at progressions [and 'Wilson's proof'] try here:

:http://www.bjmath.com/bjmath/progress/progress.htm

"All of the systems described have many variations, but they all purport to give a person the edge in a negative expectation game. The fact is, they don't. No amount of tweaks, twists or twiddling is going to make them winning systems.
Any system that relies on a betting progression to beat a negative expectation game just means, in reality, that you are putting more money on the table than you would flat-betting and, thus, losing more. If, as in many blackjack games [or horse racing], a basic strategy player can expect the house to have a half a percent advantage, the fact is, he is losing one half percent of each bet he makes. The more he bets, the more he loses. I know. I have bet each one of these systems at one time or another, and I've never won a dime in the long run. Sort of led me into card counting. I got tired of losing."