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Saturday, May 22, 2010

The Turf Puzzle

To show how little the patrons of the turf know about the theory of odds as practiced at the race track, let readers seek a solution to the following elementary problem:
If the odds are 7 to 3 against Apple Pie and 6 to 5 against Bumble Bee, what should be the odds against the famous running horse Cucumber?
-Sam Loyd, Cyclopedia of Puzzles, 1914
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5 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 22, 2010 at 9:48 PM

    I did not know that they would express odds as exactly as 7:3.... I'm guessing that you don't want 3:1 as the answer... but that's what it should be if.... there's only 3 horses... and the house isn't taking a cut...

    Jonathan

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  2. CurmudgeonMay 22, 2010 at 11:18 PM

    I quoted the original language - maybe it's just to make it colorful - it was very accurate ... don't round off. And no, the track is not taking a cut and everything's "on the square" as it were.

    I'll post the answer later after other folks have had a chance. It's close to 3:1 but not quite.

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  3. PeggyUMay 24, 2010 at 2:50 PM

    I got 83:27, but that is kind of an ugly ratio. I have no idea about that word puzzle :( .

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  4. PeggyUMay 24, 2010 at 2:56 PM

    Mheh! I think I figured it out.

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  5. CurmudgeonMay 24, 2010 at 6:15 PM

    Yup.
    3/10 + 5/11 = 83/110
    83:37

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