Comments on: The Two Dice Wager

By: PeterW.

PeterW. — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 13:32:24 +0000

For those who disagree with the answer provided:
Would you care to “put your money where your mouth is”?
If you’ll commit to 100 throws of the dice, let’s play for $100 per throw!
Obviously, whichever of us has the most money at the end wins!

For my part, I just hate it when I’m wrong at the top of my lungs

By: Cyro

Cyro — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 02:28:21 +0000

In reply to Paediatric Anaesthesia Group. Do not take the bet you have a 2/3 chance of losing getting a five or six on the first roll is 33% times 2 because of the second roll is 66% total chance of losing

By: Beth MacKinney

Beth MacKinney — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 19:33:46 +0000

The probability for 1-4 being the highest is 16/36. The probability of having 5 or 6 being highest is 20/36. So the gambler has the best probability of winning.

By: Louis

Louis — Sun, 10 Apr 2022 20:29:58 +0000

Don’t take the bet because of two reasons: 1.) You have a 44.44% chance of winning while she has a 55.56% chance of winning. PuzzleWocky has provided the corresponding probability distribution; 2.) This is a zero-sum game. (If you have studied game theory, you would know what is a zero-sum game.) A zero-sum game is simply a game wherein a player can win something only by causing another player to lose the equivalent. So, in a zero-sum game involving two players, both players would breakeven if both of them have a 50-50 chance of winning.

By: Paediatric Anaesthesia Group

Paediatric Anaesthesia Group — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 16:58:37 +0000

Extend it further if you wish. The gambler presents you with four dice, and you win if the highest number is 1,2,3,4 or 5! She wins if the highest number is six. Fancy the bet? How confident are you?

By: Nathan Smith

Nathan Smith — Sun, 07 May 2017 07:52:48 +0000

In reply to Will. You're not too smart, are ya? 1 dice, your odds are 2/3. 2 dice, your odds are 4/9. 3 dice, your odds are, 8/27. Aka your statement is dead wrong and actually backwards. This is because to win the bet, you need to win all the dice involved.

By: puzzlewocky (@puzzlewocky)

puzzlewocky (@puzzlewocky) — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 04:00:30 +0000

In reply to Anonymous. Nope. If you don't believe it, try it with real dice! Remember, with two dice you have to win on both of them, which lowers the probability. Think of it this way: if you flip one coin, you have a 1/2 chance of getting heads. If you flip two coins, you only have a 1/4 chance of getting heads on both of them.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 27 Apr 2017 20:52:56 +0000

This is wrong

By: puzzlewocky (@puzzlewocky)

puzzlewocky (@puzzlewocky) — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 00:34:50 +0000

In reply to Will. This puzzle is certainly trickier than it seems. The way the wager is phrased, if there is a 5 or a 6 on either die, the gambler wins. With two dice, the gambler will win about 5 out of 9 rolls. If you don't believe it, you can test it with real dice.

By: Will

Will — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 20:21:47 +0000

This is wrong. Increasing the number of die actually increase your odds and decrease the gambler’s odds percentage of winning.