DAY 428

IT ALL ADDS UP
Credit: GAMES Magazine
July, 1985
Michael W. Ecker

You and an opponent alternate picking numbers from 1 to 6, and a running total is kept. If the object of the game is to make the score total exactly 50, and you go first, what number should you pick to force a win for yourself?

Answer:

1 .............. 50 is one more than a multiple of 7. If you pick 1 as your number, then, no matter what your opponent chooses, you say 7 minus that number. On your eighth turn, you will cause the score to hit 50 exactly.