diff --git a/examples/bench_round25_micro.rs b/examples/bench_round25_micro.rs
index d5c45428..1f619628 100644
--- a/examples/bench_round25_micro.rs
+++ b/examples/bench_round25_micro.rs
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ fn report(tag: &str, before: Measure, after: Measure) {
 
 /// Roll-back gate: `exit(1)` unless AFTER strictly beats BEFORE on `metric`.
 fn gate(tag: &str, metric: &str, before: f64, after: f64) {
-    if !(after < before) {
+    if after >= before {
         eprintln!("GATE FAIL [{tag}] {metric}: AFTER {after} !< BEFORE {before} — rollback");
         std::process::exit(1);
     }
diff --git a/examples/bench_round25_queries.rs b/examples/bench_round25_queries.rs
index 08f17852..ff9f0b1c 100644
--- a/examples/bench_round25_queries.rs
+++ b/examples/bench_round25_queries.rs
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ fn report(tag: &str, unit: &str, before: f64, after: f64, stmts_before: usize, s
 }
 
 fn gate(tag: &str, metric: &str, before: f64, after: f64) {
-    if !(after < before) {
+    if after >= before {
         eprintln!("GATE FAIL [{tag}] {metric}: AFTER {after} !< BEFORE {before} — rollback");
         std::process::exit(1);
     }
diff --git a/examples/bench_round26_diskio.rs b/examples/bench_round26_diskio.rs
index f0099c1c..4385f84a 100644
--- a/examples/bench_round26_diskio.rs
+++ b/examples/bench_round26_diskio.rs
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ fn env_or<T: std::str::FromStr>(key: &str, default: T) -> T {
 }
 
 fn gate(tag: &str, metric: &str, before: f64, after: f64) {
-    if !(after < before) {
+    if after >= before {
         eprintln!("GATE FAIL [{tag}] {metric}: AFTER {after} !< BEFORE {before} — rollback");
         std::process::exit(1);
     }
diff --git a/examples/bench_round26_hasher.rs b/examples/bench_round26_hasher.rs
index 77629e7f..babce78f 100644
--- a/examples/bench_round26_hasher.rs
+++ b/examples/bench_round26_hasher.rs
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ fn p50(mut s: Vec<f64>) -> f64 {
 }
 
 fn gate(tag: &str, metric: &str, before: f64, after: f64) {
-    if !(after < before) {
+    if after >= before {
         eprintln!("GATE FAIL [{tag}] {metric}: AFTER {after} !< BEFORE {before} — rollback");
         std::process::exit(1);
     }
diff --git a/examples/bench_round26_micro.rs b/examples/bench_round26_micro.rs
index d5b7a931..d6c47358 100644
--- a/examples/bench_round26_micro.rs
+++ b/examples/bench_round26_micro.rs
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ fn report(tag: &str, before: Measure, after: Measure) {
 }
 
 fn gate(tag: &str, metric: &str, before: f64, after: f64) {
-    if !(after < before) {
+    if after >= before {
         eprintln!("GATE FAIL [{tag}] {metric}: AFTER {after} !< BEFORE {before} — rollback");
         std::process::exit(1);
     }