Client consulted me on Roulette strategy. Am I correct?

JellyFishy · #1 10-30-2005, 06:04 PM

Hi,

This problem might interest anybody who likes maths.

My maths is not too good, so I want to double check if I calculated this strategy correctly because it involves life and death to a client.

A friend in Russia got bored in life, nothing seems to interest him, pretty Russian girls, gambling, vodka, coca cola, etc.

I advised him to play roulette............................Russian roulette.

I sold him the optimal strategy for Russian roulette which is easy:

Since the odds of getting kill is 100% if there is only 1 slot and 1 bullet left, then risk of lost is infinity at this position. So avoid this position at all costs.

Game takes turn, so player should alternate count back from last slot until number of total slots, i.e. 6 slots in gun then 1,3,5.

The player should avoid the last number in the series. So Optimal strategy is to go 1st with a 6 slot gun, and 2nd on a 5 slot gun.

The game gets more complicated with 2 bullets, then it would be to avoid 2nd position.

Am I correct?

Fishy

I didn't put much thought on this because client paid me little. Doesn't justify more of my time on this problem for me. It's his life.

tonypaladino · #2 10-30-2005, 06:12 PM

This is quite possibly the stupidest thing I've seen all day.

MCS · #3 10-30-2005, 06:45 PM

I have no idea what you are talking about with "clients."

From what I can understand of your post, you are wrong. In Russian roulette you want to go as late in the order as possible, and that should be obvious.

Kaeser · #4 10-30-2005, 09:20 PM

Optimal strategy is to go 7th in a 6 slot gun and 6th in a 5 slot gun game. Number of bullets does not influence your strategy using this method.

Kaeser · #5 10-30-2005, 09:21 PM

Also I'm not surprised your client paid you very little. If I was bored and you advised me to play russian roulette I would not pay you at all.

joshman1204 · #6 10-31-2005, 02:03 PM

You always go last in this game no matter what!

I want to know what idiot would pull the trigger if they were sixth in a six shot game??!?

Terry · #7 10-31-2005, 02:21 PM

Are signatures allowed to link to affiliate sites now?

CieloAzor · #8 10-31-2005, 07:51 PM

There's no optimal strategy with only one bullet in the gun. If the bullet is in chamber #1, 3, or 5, the first player dies. If it's in #2, 4, or 6, the second player dies. It makes no difference what order the shots are taken in. Player A could even take the first 3 shots, and there's still a 50/50 chance of him winning.

jman220 · #9 11-01-2005, 12:52 AM

[ QUOTE ]
There's no optimal strategy with only one bullet in the gun. If the bullet is in chamber #1, 3, or 5, the first player dies. If it's in #2, 4, or 6, the second player dies. It makes no difference what order the shots are taken in. Player A could even take the first 3 shots, and there's still a 50/50 chance of him winning.

[/ QUOTE ]

This assumes that you would take the 6th shot.

tubalkain · #10 11-01-2005, 06:06 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
There's no optimal strategy with only one bullet in the gun. If the bullet is in chamber #1, 3, or 5, the first player dies. If it's in #2, 4, or 6, the second player dies. It makes no difference what order the shots are taken in. Player A could even take the first 3 shots, and there's still a 50/50 chance of him winning.

[/ QUOTE ]

This assumes that you would take the 6th shot.

[/ QUOTE ]

nh

Optimal strategy is to go second and instead of taking the sixth shot, just blow your opponent's head off with it. GG.