the bet

[Guest]

a boy was at a carnival and went to a booth where a man said to the boy,"If i write your exact weight on the paper I'll pay you $50". If i cannot then I will pay you $50. The boy looked around saw no scale so he agrees, thinking no matter what the man says he'll just say he ways more or less. In the end the boy ends up paying the man $50. How did the man win the bet?

The man did exactly what he said. He wrote "YOUR EXACT WEIGHT" on the peice of paper

[unreality]

thats an old one

[Guest]

a boy was at a carnival and went to a booth where a man said to the boy,"If i write your exact weight on the paper I'll pay you $50". If i cannot then I will pay you $50. The boy looked around saw no scale so he agrees, thinking no matter what the man says he'll just say he ways more or less. In the end the boy ends up paying the man $50. How did the man win the bet?

The man did exactly what he said. He wrote "YOUR EXACT WEIGHT" on the peice of paper

The man didn't win the bet. The man owed the boy $50.

[Guest]

a boy was at a carnival and went to a booth where a man said to the boy,"If i write your exact weight on the paper I'll pay you $50". If i cannot then I will pay you $50. The boy looked around saw no scale so he agrees, thinking no matter what the man says he'll just say he ways more or less. In the end the boy ends up paying the man $50. How did the man win the bet?

The man did exactly what he said. He wrote "YOUR EXACT WEIGHT" on the peice of paper

I have to agree with Martini here as the wording above says he will pay either way. ("If i write your exact weight on the paper I'll pay you $50". If i cannot then I will pay you $50.)

[unreality]

for that to work, the boy would have to owe the man $100

that way, the boy wins the bet, the man pays him $50 but the boy owed the man $100, then the boy would end up paying the man $50

nothing else along the lines of "owing" would work except that, i think

the way you phrased, both would pay each other $50 and it would be even, but it clearly says the man walked away with $50 from the boy... so if the boy did win the bet by saying a different number, not the man, the boy would've had to be in debt $100

[unreality]

i have another solution:

the carnie has 7 scales in his truck. Each of them ALWAYS says the same number, as long as a slight amount of weight triggers it, to look like its a real scale. The values are:

70, 90, 120, 160, 210, 230 and 270

he sizes up his customers and picks one of those seven numbers that he thinks is closest to their weight. Then he says the number. If the customer says "Right on!" he is surprised, but pleasantly surprised, as he won without effort. But if they deny him, he pulls out a scale- but its not any old scale, its the scale of that value, and "weighs" the person... he is exactly on mark! The pissed off customer must pay him $50... not a bad little carnie trick

[Guest]

for that to work, the boy would have to owe the man $100

For what to work? The way the OP phrased the question, the man would owe the boy $50. Of course the OP meant to write: "If i write your exact weight on the paper you'll pay me $50". In that scenario, the boy would owe the man $50. In what scenario are you finding the boy owing the man $100?

the way you phrased, both would pay each other $50 and it would be even

I gave the correct answer for the way it was phrased. Where are you getting "both would pay each other $50"?

but it clearly says the man walked away with $50 from the boy... so if the boy did win the bet by saying a different number, not the man, the boy would've had to be in debt $100

There is no "different number". The man tricked the boy by writing "YOUR EXACT WEIGHT". There is no scenario where the boy owes the man $100.

[unreality]

yeah i just reread it sorry

[Guest]

I meant to write If i write your exact weight on the paper You'll pay you $50". If i cannot then I will pay you $50.

so how did the man win the bet

[Guest]

I meant to write If i write your exact weight on the paper You'll pay you $50". If i cannot then I will pay you $50.

so how did the man win the bet

The man wrote "YOUR EXACT WEIGHT" on a piece of paper and the boy collected no money.

[unreality]

yeah... the man won but he owed the boy so it was even... i get it now

[Guest]

yeah... the man won but he owed the boy so it was even... i get it now

Huh? The man never owed the boy anything.

[unreality]

okay now im just confused. nevermind. lol.

[Guest]

In the original scenerio it was stated

a man said to the boy,"If i write your exact weight on the paper I'll pay you $50". If i cannot then I will pay you $50

the first part of the statement the man says, "If i write your exact weight on the paper I'll pay you $50"

as I see it if the man does what he says he will do he will pay $50

in the second part of the statement the man states, "If i cannot then I will pay you $50"

either way I see the man paying the boy $50. Am I missing something here? The wording in the first part of the man's challenge should be changed. Here is the original story.

a boy was at a carnival and went to a booth where a man said to the boy,"If i write your exact weight on the paper I'll pay you $50". If i cannot then I will pay you $50. The boy looked around saw no scale so he agrees, thinking no matter what the man says he'll just say he ways more or less. In the end the boy ends up paying the man $50. How did the man win the bet?

[Guest]

Am I missing something here? The wording in the first part of the man's challenge should be changed.

Yes, you're missing something. The OP already posted a change.

[Guest]

I meant to write If i write your exact weight on the paper You'll pay you $50". If i cannot then I will pay you $50.

so how did the man win the bet

I missed the change. But....he changed it to "You'll pay you $50 dollars". So the boy now has to pay himself $50.

i guess it should be "you'll pay me $50"

[Guest]

But....he changed it to "You'll pay you $50 dollars". So the boy now has to pay himself $50.

Okay, you caught on to why I wrote "The man wrote "YOUR EXACT WEIGHT" on a piece of paper and the boy collected no money."

I was waiting for someone to call me on it.

[Guest]

As far as I think, this question should've been asked in this words:

"a boy was at a carnival and went to a booth where a man said to the boy,"If i write your exact weight on the paper You'll pay me $50". If i cannot then I will pay you $50. The boy looked around saw no scale so he agrees, thinking no matter what the man writes he'll just write he weights more or less... In the end the boy ends up paying the man $50. How did the man win the bet?"

And answer to that would be:

"a boy thought that a man was talking about really writing down boys weight in digits, however he got played... he was a victim of trickery ....a man just wrote 'YOUR EXACT WEIGHT'... on the paper"

Now...it seems like I just kinda made up my own puzzle and solved it, huh? .... but really I didnt. I hope some people understand this puzzle and its solution....that makes my reply useful.

peace...

[Guest]

I would like to thank smart_stuff09 for this puzzle... i made $20 on that (5*4(people)=20 nobody wants to bet $50... maybe I should find that boy)

peace...

p.s. just use your brain, thats the best thing you got!

[Guest]

the man and the boy should both pay me fifty bucks, since they obviously have disposable income to waste on such nonsense.

[Guest]

Well, aside from writing down "YOUR EXACT WEIGHT," the man can write something like You weigh 50 lbs less than I do. This way whatever the boy claims his weight to be, the man can, in turn, claim his weight as 50 lbs more.

[Guest]

hmm... most carny games cost something... you know, two dollars for five balls, that kind of thing... what if the cost for this "game' was $100.00? hmm... oh well just musing.

[Guest]

Is it just me or did no one read the riddle, from what I see either way the man agrees to pay the boy 50$. Am I wrong? Is there a typo?

[Guest]

how would the man recieve anymoney if whether or not he wins he still pays the boy 50........ maybe a typo

[Guest]

ha ha ha ha dumb answer- but the boy would still get 50 dollars.....

[Guest]

The man didn't win the bet. The man owed the boy $50.

good one!