Three men rent a hotel room. The cost of the room is $30, so each man paid $10.

After they had gone into their room, the desk clerk realized he had overcharged them. The true cost was $25. So he sent a bellboy up with the $5 he owed them.

The bellboy couldn't figure out how to split $5 three ways, so he gave each man $1, and kept the remaining $2 for himself.

After getting back the $1, this meant that each man paid $9 for the room instead of $10. $9 x 3 men = $27. Add the $2 the bellboy kept. The total is now $29.

The mind, like any muscle, tones and improves with use. It has been shown that board games where you pit yourself against a living, breathing opponent greatly increase one's "mental muscle." I mean such games as chess, checkers, card games, Parcheesi... whatever. Battleship. Something where you have to strategize and think.

Subjects who participated in these kind of studies showed improvement on tests over time. Playing video games did not seem to improve one's capacity to hold/store/analyze data/information, but did seem to improve one's hand-eye coordination.

So while vid-games might be fun, it's better for ya to play against a real person. And the more you do, the better your mind becomes, and the easier it becomes to learn new things.

Hmmm... I think it has something to do with interdimensionality, the Elseness and the theme from X-files...

I'm just trying to figure out where!

30 dollars. 3 people. 10 dollars each.

30 minus 25 equals 5. 5 dollars.

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each paid 10, minus one.

10 minus 1 equals 9. 9 times three equals 27. 3 extra dollars. 25 for the room. 3 for the guys, two for the bellboy. each guy paid 10 first. given one back. each guy paid nine. 2 dollars for the bellboy, equals 27.

each person paid nine dollars for the room plus the tip for the bellboy which turned out to be 2 dollars. 27 dollars.

what was the question?

ok. each paid 10. each given one back. each paid nine. total paid was 27 dollars.

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that's just impossible...

25/3 = 8.333333

each paid 8.33 cents for the room. Our total we're working with is now only 27 dollars, not 30. three was given back to the three men. 27 dollars. 2 was given to the bell boy. 25 total, for the room.

Ok, so they ended up paying 27 dollars for the room, cause the bellboy kept 2 dollars (25+2=27)

So then why do we add the 2 dollars the bellboy kept AGAIN? (27+2=29)

Shouldn't we add back in the three dollars given to the men? (25+2+3=30)

The way the brainteaser reads, the equation is:

25(desk clerk) + 2(bellboy) plus 2(bellboy again)= 30

It SHOULD be 25(desk clerk) + 2(bellboy) + 3 (men) =30

The alleged "missing dollar" has been with the men all along because we've been counting what the bellboy has twice, and disregarding the 3 dollars that has been given back to the men.

That's what I think, anyway...

9*3=25+2

PLUS the *3 RETURNED DOLLARS*

Equals *30*

I was trying to explain to you what I meant... 2 for the bellboy, 3 for the men... the part missing is 25 for the clerk...

how was this not understood?

But you know, that's me, and I'm stupid.

This forum is for improvement not belittlement, whether that latter is imagined or intended.