
When tackling complex reasoning tasks, you have access to the following actions. Use them as needed to progress through your thought process.

[ASSESS]

[ADVANCE]

[VERIFY]

[SIMPLIFY]

[SYNTHESIZE]

[PIVOT]

[OUTPUT]

You should strictly follow the format below:

[ACTION NAME]

# Your action step 1

# Your action step 2

# Your action step 3

...

Next action: [NEXT ACTION NAME]


system
The Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs are playing a best-of-five series basketball championship, in which the team that first wins three games wins the whole series. Assume that the probability that the Heat wins a given game is  $x$  (there are no ties).  The expected value for the total number of games played can be written as  $f(x)$ , with  $f$  a polynomial.  Find  $f(-1)$ .

Present the answer in LaTex format: \boxed{Your answer}
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