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The Backgammon Solution

Posted By: Timothy Chow
Date: Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 10:01 p.m.

In Response To: The Backgammon Solution (Rick Janowski)

I'm not sure I fully understand your hypothetical, but if you're asking whether it can make a difference whether it's $2000 or £2000, then the answer is yes, it can make a difference.

As for an example, I already gave an example, where the way the prize money is determined tells you that you need to employ a different strategy depending on whether Q is less than or greater than 7000.

It seems that you're still under the illusion that the problem specification provides enough information to derive a mathematically correct answer. It doesn't. Some information about the prior probability of the prize money being £2000 is needed before any kind of calculation can be done. Depending on what that prior probability is, the decision about whether to switch will depend on the precise amount that you observe in the envelope.

Messages In This Thread

• Tournament Prize Money Conundrum
  Rick Janowski -- Saturday, 15 October 2016, at 8:06 p.m.
  • Tournament Prize Money Conundrum
    KenB -- Saturday, 15 October 2016, at 8:30 p.m.
  • Tournament Prize Money Conundrum
    Tom Keith -- Saturday, 15 October 2016, at 8:46 p.m.
  • The Backgammon Solution *SPOILER ALERT*
    Fender -- Saturday, 15 October 2016, at 8:58 p.m.
    • The Backgammon Solution *SPOILER ALERT*
      Bob Koca -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 4:25 a.m.
      • The Backgammon Solution
        Rick Janowski -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 7:18 a.m.
        • The Backgammon Solution
          Casper Van der Tak -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 9:21 a.m.
          • The Backgammon Solution
            Rick Janowski -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 9:45 a.m.
            • The Backgammon Solution
              Casper Van der Tak -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 10:27 a.m.
              • The Backgammon Solution
                Casper Van der Tak -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 11:18 a.m.
                • The Backgammon Solution
                  Rick Janowski -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 11:40 a.m.
                  • The Backgammon Solution
                    Casper Van der Tak -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 12:15 p.m.
        • The Backgammon Solution
          Bob Koca -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 3:32 p.m.
          • The Backgammon Solution
            Rick Janowski -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 5:43 p.m.
            • The Backgammon Solution
              Casper Van der Tak -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 6:10 p.m.
              • The Backgammon Solution
                Rick Janowski -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 6:41 p.m.
            • The Backgammon Solution
              Timothy Chow -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 6:41 p.m.
              • The Backgammon Solution
                Rick Janowski -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 8:11 p.m.
                • The Backgammon Solution
                  Timothy Chow -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 10:01 p.m.
                • Another worked example
                  Timothy Chow -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 10:48 p.m.
                  • Another worked example
                    Bob Koca -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 11:42 p.m.
            • The Backgammon Solution
              Bob Koca -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 7:15 p.m.
              • The Backgammon Solution
                Rick Janowski -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 7:57 p.m.
                • The Backgammon Solution
                  Casper Van der Tak -- Monday, 17 October 2016, at 7:03 a.m.
  • Tournament Prize Money Conundrum
    Timothy Chow -- Saturday, 15 October 2016, at 9:09 p.m.
    • Tournament Prize Money Conundrum
      Rick Janowski -- Saturday, 15 October 2016, at 10:32 p.m.
      • Tournament Prize Money Conundrum
        Chuck Bower -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 12:52 a.m.
        • Tournament Prize Money Conundrum
          Rick Janowski -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 1:22 a.m.
      • Tournament Prize Money Conundrum
        Timothy Chow -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 5:07 p.m.
        • Tournament Prize Money Conundrum
          Rick Janowski -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 6:24 p.m.
    • Equity calculation question?
      Rick Janowski -- Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 9:30 a.m.
  • Tournament Prize Money Conundrum
    Casper Van der Tak -- Saturday, 15 October 2016, at 9:39 p.m.
  • Tournament Prize Money Conundrum
    Dmitriy Obukhov -- Monday, 17 October 2016, at 6:15 p.m.
  • Tournament Prize Money Conundrum
    Stein Kulseth -- Tuesday, 18 October 2016, at 8:45 p.m.