A really simple question.

Sir, I say Sir, we folk from down south take exception to your comment, :wink:

"P.S. You did not, nor did Try, say whether you felt the coin game would be the same if one of the double coins were removed from play."

When the previous post stated, "No change there then." Ha, ha.

No change Sir, the $8 remains the same. The second ha, refers to the dice Sir, and the same amount (if the sucker) were to chose first.

However, should you choose first and I were to advise the gentleman in question then I feel confident that he would win $11. Sir, L.A. here I come.

Try

It is true that you did say, "No change there! but I am known to be dumb and anything oblique goes right over my head.

You are right about the dice too.

So let's see how you do on this one? This game could not be simpler. Nine cards are laid out so the faces can be seen, let us suppose ace to nine of hearts. We take turns at going first. I take a card from the pile and place it in front of me face up. That is the start of 'My cards'. Then you do the same, putting one card in front of you. Nothing is hidden, all is shown

We continue doing this until either we run out of cards - in which case the bet is doubled and the other one goes first - or until one has three cards that add up to fifteen - which makes that person the winner.

"Simple" I hear you say. Then how do you explain my being able to beat any beginner at it, if not every time, then very close to it. The winning 'magic' can be figured out but until it is be prepared to lose and lose again.

EASILY!

Because you know the winning magic.

I know this answer is correct.

What do I win?

Frank

Anyone who says so positively that they have the answer must certainly have it. What do you win? Nothing now. I was about to challenge Try to a game and you could have joined in but now he will be less trusting I should imagine.

Here is another little one. Try seems to think that I am shall we say 'shifty'. Tonight in the airport whilst rolling strange dice and guessing strange coins, it was getting very late and we stopped to eat. He had five pies and I had three. A guy comes up who is hungry and can find nowhere to buy food. He says he has eight dollars and is willing to pay.

Out of the kindness of my heart I persuade my companion to help out. I have three pies so I take three of the dollars; my 'friend' has five pies so he takes five dollars. Then we share out the food equally.

How could any of that be described as shifty?

Mungo

Apparently you missed my little joke.

The wording you used in your last puzzle was such that the correct answer was:

"Because you know the "winning magic."

Actually, I do not yet know the "winning magic", but I'll work on it. I've done tons and tons of puzzles over the years -- and this one is familiar, but with these kinds of puzzles, if you haven't done them in a while, it takes some time to re-figure them out. Sort of like the tic-tac-toe winning strategy. And at my age, sometimes the re-figuring out takes a long while.

I will make this guess about the card puzzle, though: If you go first, the game will more than likely end in a tie -- unless your opponent makes dumb moves.

If your opponent goes first, you will win damn near every time.

Frank

Regarding my missing your joke - allow me to refer you to my comment addressed to Try in an earlier post.

As to who would win: if I knew the 'magic' and my opponent did not I would expect to win almost every time. If we both knew it, I would guess that most games would be drawn. This would be regardless of who went first, though over a series of games with a different one going first each time, any advantage gained from going first would quickly even out I would think.

Okay, the three of you each will eat 2 2/3 pies.

That means you gave up 1/3 of a pie for $3.

Your "friend" will also eat 2 2/3 pies - which means he gave up 2 1/3 pies for $5.

In order for your "friend" to be treated equally with you, he would have had to get $21 for his 2 1/3 pies.

Or, in order for the distribution of the $8 to be equitable (assuming the third guy on the scene feels that $8 for 2 2/3 pie is okay) - would be for you to get $1 and your friend $7.

(Total to be distributed to the third guy on the scene is the 1/3 you gave up and the 2 1/3 [7/3] your dumb friend gave up. That equals 8/3, making each 1/3 worth $1)

Frank

Yup; sneaky isn't it?

Yeah!

Your remind me of Harry Anderson.

That ain't you, is it Harry?

Frank

That depends on whether he owes you money or you owe him money.

(Whoops; he would know that already, wouldn't he?)

An irregular love song

Nice one, you are getting better. It sounds like the play what I rote.

Now back to those damn cards.

This puzzle seems to be giving you guys more trouble than I thought it would. And after all of the extra clues too. Clues like 'three' and 'nine' and 'adds up to fifteen', and that is apart from the what Frank said on Monday.

All you need now is the magic and you have it.

Sorry Mungo, I've been really busy in several other threads.

I know -- or I think I know -- that you want the other person to go first -- and that his/her move dictates what you pick on each of your picks.

If I remember this problem -- the first response is different from all subsequent responses -- but I really haven't had time to work on it.

I will try to put some time off to do it later.

Frank

You are trying just that bit too hard I think, it is more to do with able to think around corners than needing A 'Pifco hair dryer' in mathematics.


As for who goes first; if I really desperately wanted to win I would jump at the chance of going first. But as long as the other person does not know 'the magic' I'd probably win every time anyway.

BTW; previous experience may be of little assistance. I thought this one up - maybe stumbled upon it would be better - but if I told you how it would not be a puzzle.

Aha....


...actually I have not solved the puzzlel, but a brilliant thought just struck.

Here's the outline -- I may do the work, but I think the outline will establish that I've done the thinking:

9 cards

tic-tac-toe

magic squares


What say?

What do I day? I say that you have got it? I was right, was I not? It does not take a great deal of thought as much as that sudden flash of insight, right?

Yep!

And to have someone mention "magic" several times doesn't hurt!

Great puzzles, Mungo.

Don't add any more here, but if you've got a few more -- start new threads with them.

You'll get more takers.

OK Frank, here is one last one - a 'hard Mathematics' problem - before I give it a rest for a while.

Here it is, and there really is enough information. (Hee hee hee!)

I drilled a hole right through the middle of a sphere. I forget how big the sphere was; maybe . . . Ahhh; who cares? You've seen one sphere you've seen them all, right?.

The hole had a diameter of blaah blaah blaah whatever - sort of medium-ish wide - and the length of the hole was three feet or inches or metrical thingies or . . . Gookies perhaps. I was never very good at longitude!

The question is, what is the volume of what remains of the sphere?