On [this article](http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/691061.html), I came across the use of a word `winningest`.

> 
> It isn't a surprise that the experts still reckon that when in doubt, think about it and then decide to bat anyway, for that used to be the **winningest** strategy when most of them played the game. 
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Is this an acceptable word? If not, then is there a single word or phrase to replace it? (As opposed to reordering the words to `strategy most likely to lead to a win`.

I looked around on the internet and found out that it is an informal word, which means `one with most wins`. However, in the above context, it seems to mean `one most likely to lead to a win`. Is this article using the word wrongly (informal as it may be), or did I interpret in wrong?

Further, is it also acceptable to use `winninger` similarly?