My PokerR

Three guys go to Vegas for the WSOP and check in at a dumpy downtown motel. Upon check-in the desk clerk asks for $30 for the night. Each man pulls out a $10 bill, hands them to the clerk, and the clerk tells the bellman to take them to room 2. At the end of his shift the desk clerk realizes that he charged the men in Room 2 the weekend rate and today is only Thursday and should have been charged $25. He pulls five singles out of the till and calls to the bellman. Says “Take this $5 to the men in Room 2 and explain that we overcharged them.”  So the bellman takes the money to room 2 when he realizes that those cheap bastages never tipped him for taking their bags. So, he takes two of the singles and pockets them for his effort. Bellman knocks on the door and says sorry, we overcharged you - here your change and hands each of the three men $1. Now – Here’s the question…

What is 9×3?

How much did the bellman put in his pocket? So….Where did the other dollar go?

Answer 1:

There is no *other* dollar. The question is misleading. $10 each = $30 originally paid. $5 back from the desk clerk covers the $25 room rate. $2 bucks to the bellman leaves $3 left (split 3ways = $1 per man).

Answer 2:

The amended charge per person comes to $8.33. (25 / 3 = 8.33)  They paid $10.00.  Their return should have been $l.67.  They only got $1.00 back and the porter kept the $2.00 (.67 x 3 = 2.00)

Answer 3:

The problem is in trying to compare the total the men paid ($27) to the original amount paid ($30) even after the hotel has taken the $5 out of the till.  Once the hotel takes the $5 out, you need to compare the amount the men paid with the amount the hotel *has* ($25), not the amount the hotel originally had.  So, then, “9×3 is $27, but the bellboy put $2 *of that* in his pocket and the hotel has $25.”  (You
don’t *add* the $2 to the $27 paid, you *subtract* it.)

To fully illustrate, let’s say the bellman didn’t steal any of the $5.
The end of the problem would now read: ”$8.33 * 3 = $25. The bellman put how much in his pocket?  (0$) What happened to the other $5?” Now the problem seems silly, doesn’t it?  You instantly understand that there is no “other $5,” because you realize that the hotel let go of $5 and thus a comparison of amount paid by the patrons has to be made against the hotel’s $25.